127 



Recent Enrorcement 



Wastewater management at Ketchikan Pulp Company was the subject of a lengthy 

 investigation by the United States Environmental Protection Agency which began in 1991 

 In the spring of 1995 Ketchikan Pulp Company and the United States of America reached 

 agreement and settlement of issues that arose from this investigation and which concerned 

 environmental compliance The agreement resulted in criminal, civil and administrative 

 proceedings, and defined projects and related undertakings that are now being 

 accomplished by Ketchikan Pulp Company 



The Government charged Ketchikan Pulp Company with discharging pollutants in 

 violation of the terms of its wastewater discharge permit and for discharging pollutants 

 without a permit Ketchikan Pulp Company entered a guilty plea to one felony and 

 thirteen misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act. 



The felony violation occurred in April 1990 when Ketchikan Pulp Company shut down for 

 scheduled maintenance to its primary clarifier During this shutdown, a ponion of 

 collected solids from the primary clarifier were discharged into Ward Cove. The 

 wastewater system in place at that time could not effectively remove all collected solids 

 from the wastewater. The discharge of water containing any collected solids from the 

 clarifier is prohibited per se, even if the solids discharged do not exceed any applicable 

 total suspended solids effluent limitations in the permit 



The misdemeanor violations occurred on thirteen days during a period from January, 1991 

 through December, 1993 when Ketchikan Pulp Company negligently allowed wastewater 

 containing magnesium oxide to overflow from two sewer manholes The overflows 

 occurred because the sewer piping from the powerhouse to the main sewer was too small 

 to handle the volume of powerhouse wastewater, particulariy during periods when high 

 tides exerted pressure on the sewer. The overflow flowed downhill into the waters of 

 Ward Cove. Under normal operating conditions, effluent from the powerhouse is 

 discharged through the permitted outfall "001" 



The conditions that gave rise to both felony and misdemeanor charges have been changed 

 with new designs, installations, and programs which KPC believes have eliminated the 

 potential for reoccurrence. 



Ketchikan Pulp Company was fined and placed on probation for five years with an 

 opportunity for early termination after one year 



Ketchikan Pulp Company obligations under the criminal proceeding include: 



Implement a program to improve the quality of wastewater discharges. 



There are presently three components elimination of the use of elemental 

 chlorine in the pulp process, evaluation of toxicity parameters, and 



