Sludge Watch ==> St Mary's Paper - Sault Ste Marie - Looking for biomass co-gen

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

St Mary's Paper in Sault Ste Marie has been in financial trouble regularly 
over the past decades.
In this news story, I see they are reorganizing again.  And they are looking 
for a biomass cogeneration for energy.
That means that they will be able to use their waste sludge for fuel.

In the past they had some very noxious sludge disposal methods.  They handed 
their sludge over to a guy who told people it would make their garden green. 
  Several Sault residents have been made extremely ill from exposure to the 
St Mary's sludge.

One fellow was awarded Workman's Compensation for illnesses resulting 
exposure to the sludge at a neighboring compost site.

So if people tell you there are no documented health detriments from sludge 
exposure...or from composting sites..tell them they are wrong.

..................................


Pulp & Paper Canada,  6/4/2007

http://www.pulpandpapercanada.com/issues/isarticle.asp?id=69742&issue=06042007&PC=PP&story_id=&link_targ=DailyNews&link_source=aypr_PP

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St. Marys investors get go-ahead

The future is looking bright for St. Marys Paper.

A group of local investors who submitted a bid to purchase and operate the 
facility have reached an agreement with the Receiver, RSM Richter.

The local group now makes up the shareholders in a newly incorporated 
company, ‘St. Marys Paper Corp.’ Richter is seeking approval of the bid on 
June 4, and the closing of the purchase transaction is scheduled for June 6.

“We have worked diligently with the union to negotiate a labour agreement, 
and then with the province to obtain a comfort letter addressing the needs 
of the mill,” said Gord Acton on behalf of the investors group. 
“Concurrently, we have successfully obtained the financing necessary for the 
transaction. During the process, we have worked cooperatively with the 
Receiver and have now come to an agreement which we are confident will 
receive the approval of the court.”

Acton is concerned about the possibility of securing a bio-mass cogeneration 
facility, something he views as critical to ensuring the financial stability 
of the mill.

“We are continuing to work with the Federal government for their support of 
innovative technology implementation,” he said. “Finally, but importantly, 
we will need the bio-mass cogeneration facility in order to ensure long-term 
financial stability and jobs at the mill. The quicker we can get a bio-mass 
cogeneration facility built, the more assured our long-term survival will 
be, and plans are already underway to restart the mill and clients of the 
super calendar paper produced by the mill have been contacted to elicit 
orders. We are planning to make paper within weeks after purchase of the 
mill,” he confirmed.