Use of Air Quality Modeling In the Design of a Pulp and Paper Mill Expansion, 1992 Environmental Conference Proceedings

The Gulf States Paper Corporation has initiated a major expansion of its Demopolis, Alabama pulp and paper mill. This expansion will include construction of a new black liquor recovery furnace, modification of the bleach plant, and other operational changes. Additional modifications under consideration include construction of a new power boiler, new lime kiln, and non-condensible gas (NCG) collection and incineration system.

These modifications were subject to review under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. As part of the program, Gulf States Paper was required to perform air quality dispersion modeling to demonstrate that emissions from the new and existing sources at the mill would not cause violations of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards or PSD increment limits.

The purpose of this paper is to present the unique approach taken by Gulf States Paper in incorporating air quality dispersion modeling into the early design phase of this project. Modeling was used in selecting equipment and fuels, determining necessary stack heights for new and existing sources and developing an optimum plant equipment layout for both the proposed and future modifications. This presentation will focus on the use of dispersion modeling as a decision-making tool in the design phase of construction projects.