Third-worst polluter in Manitoba is closed and up for sale

Today, Tembec announced it will close its paper mill in Pine Falls immediately, seeking to sell it by spring 2010.

With this announcement, one of the largest sources of pollution in Manitoba over the last 80 years will be shut down, preventing 4.68 million tones of pollutants from being emitted each year.

The coal-powered mill, located only a few kilometers up river from Lake Winnipeg, was built in the 1920s and retains that era's lack of environmental standards. Pollution Watch ranks the coal-powered operation as the third worst polluter in Manitoba, and it has been emitting high levels of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, phosphorous and other toxins since opening.

"This is wonderful news for our province. Literally, Manitobans will be breathing easier from now on," said Eric Reder, Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee.

"The people in nearby communities live with terrible pollution from the mill. The fluid outflows from this mill have been detrimental to Lake Winnipeg for nearly a century. Today we are a step closer to a healthier planet."

The Wilderness Committee is sympathetic to the lost jobs of 270 Tembec employees in Pine Falls, and credits the Manitoba government for quick action in directing resources towards assisting the community during transition.

The Wilderness Committee asserts that if the plant is successfully sold and re-opened, three following conditions must be met. First, the province must require a comprehensive management plan to preserve all woodland caribou and habitat in the Forest Management License Area 1 (FMLA1).

Second, Nopiming Provincial Park must be removed from FMLA1. And most importantly, before a new paper mill opens, the mill must meet current pollution and emissions requirements.

"Tembec's mill has been grandfathered to allow things we now consider appalling: from logging in Nopiming to environmental and workplace health conditions resulting from operating antiquated equipment from the 1920s," Reder said.

"The control that these corporations have over public forests is outrageous. FMLAs are legally binding contracts. But as Tembec dissolves their contract and stops employing workers in Manitoba, the province is granted a perfect opportunity to clean up this mill operation for future generations."

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For more information, contact:

Eric Reder, Campaign Director

eric@wildernescommittee.mb.ca or 997-8584

B-roll footage is available. High-resolution images are also available.