VICTORIA - The federal and provincial governments are contributing more than $23.2 million towards the City of Kamloops' $48.5-million water treatment project, under the $800-million Canada-B.C. Infrastructure Program. The water filtration plant at River Street will provide safe, reliable drinking water for the city.

A new scientifically based limit to control AOX discharges from pulp mills that protects the environment and ensures a viable future for the pulp industry has been enacted by cabinet, Water, Land and Air Protection Minister Joyce Murray announced today.

"This decision is scientifically sound and will give British Columbia the strongest industry-wide standard for AOX discharges in Canada," said Murray. "The decision by the previous government to require zero AOX discharge from B.C. pulp mills by Dec. 31, 2002, had no scientific basis and would have resulted in huge costs to the pulp and paper industry with no demonstrable environmental benefits."

Under the change to the Waste Management Act's pulp mill effluent control regulation, a new monthly average limit of 0.6 kilogram of AOX per air-dried tonne of pulp, down from the current 1.5 kilograms, has been set for bleached kraft pulp mill effluent. A monthly average limit of 1.0 kilogram per air-dried tonne has been set for the province's one bleached sulphite pulp mill. The new industry-wide standards are the strongest of any regulation in Canada.

The new limits were established following recommendations made last March by an independent scientific panel led by John Carey of the federal government's National Water Research Institute.

Carey and two other pollution control experts were appointed to review the previous requirement for zero AOX output by Dec. 31. In its report, the panel concluded there was "no current evidence available to indicate that a zero AOX requirement would result in any demonstrable environmental benefit."

"It's vital that we protect and renew jobs and opportunities in forestry," said Forests Minister Mike de Jong. "This new regulation protects the environment and also protects literally thousands of jobs in communities around the province.

"The pulp and paper industry in B.C. will benefit from the stability this new standard will bring. This will encourage a stronger climate for investment and growth in this key sector of our economy, " he said.

AOX is a group of halogenated organic compounds. Toxic forms of AOX, such as dioxins and furans, are created when elemental chlorine is used in the pulp bleaching process.

More information on pulp mills and the environment can be found at wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/industrial_waste on the ministry's Web site.

Media contact:

Alex Dabrowski,
Communications Branch,
Victoria
250 953-4577