Improving Environmental Ethic in the Chemical Recovery Area While Focusing on Maximizing ROZ, 1999 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Sheryl Raulston

Marc Van Eck

Richard Rodgers

Union Camp Corporation

Union Camp Corporation’s Franklin mill set a goal to improve environmental ethics in the chemical recovery area while focusing on maximizing return on assets (ROA). We accomplished our goal by developing consistent management directives, by focusing on behavior changes, and by implementing equipment modifications. The chemical recovery area made environmental considerations a priority in operations through increased environmental awareness, setting boundaries, defining responsibilities, and holding employees accountable for their actions.

The emphasis resulted in fewer process upsets, improved product quality, less waste to the effluent treatment system, and to the landfill, and a strengthened environmental ethic. Reduced chemical costs resulted in an estimated $3.1 million savings from 1996 to 1997 and an additional estimated $1.9 million savings from 1997 to 1998. This is a total estimated chemical cost savings of $5.0 million dollars over this period. The environmental benefits include a 59% reduction in volume of grits from 1995 to 1998. Mill sewer COD loading was also reduced by 39% and sewer conductivity was reduced 26% from 1995 to 1998.