PPER (Part 1): What do Canada’s updated Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations mean for you?
September 19, 2024
Will your effluent comply with the federal government’s proposed regulation update? Let’s look at what the PPER updates mean.
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The Canadian pulp and paper industry needs to prepare. New federal effluent regulations are coming soon.
As most people in the industry know, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued an updated detailed proposal for consultation of the modernization of its Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations (PPER). Over the past few decades, the federal government has modified portions of the regulations. But the ECCC is performing a complete review of its protection, implementation, and compliance requirements.
The proposed PPER update is still in the consultation stage with the industry—and the final regulations aren’t released. But it’s wise to prepare for them. At a minimum, you have most likely already concluded whether your current wastewater treatment system is going to meet the new proposed limits. But have you considered if your existing wastewater treatment system is operating to its full capability today? Do you have the real estate should you need to install additional treatment units to comply with the new regulations in the future?
Effluent is a mixture of waste streams created during the pulp and papermaking process.
We’ve both spent much of our careers helping industries comply with regulations like the PPER, to make sure they’re meeting the effluent regulations of today and preparing for future changes. In addition, we have both worked at Canadian mills in full-time positions. Mitra spent time in a kraft pulp mill working as an environmental engineer and superintendent. Jillian began her career working for a chemical supplier, visiting many Canadian mills to help with water, wastewater, and process chemical performance. We have continued to support the pulp and paper industry as consultants. And we love to share our collective experiences when the opportunity arises.
Let’s go through why the PPER changes are coming. Then we’ll look at some of the updates.
Setting the stage on PPER
First, we will provide some background for those of you with less experience in the manufacturing of pulp and paper products. You can produce pulp via wood, fiber crop, or wastepaper. And you can use chemical, semichemical, or mechanical processes. These processes transform the raw material into fibers that are used to create pulp or paper. This process involves using a lot of water, which is eventually released to the environment as effluent after proper treatment.
Effluent is a mixture of waste streams created during the pulp and papermaking process. Depending on the type of mill, mill effluent may include wastewater from debarking, pulping, washing, bleaching, and regeneration of cooking chemicals. Water is also required to clean mill surfaces or equipment. And water moves fiber around the mill, through pumps and pipes, before that fiber is eventually dried into the final products we all recognize.
All that water contributes to effluent. Of course, pulp and paper companies treat their effluent—typically in two stages—before releasing it into the environment.
Pollution control regulations, like the PPER, govern the discharge of harmful substances from pulp and paper mills into surface water where fish live. The PPER protects water quality that sustains fish and other aquatic life, fish habitat, and the use of fisheries resources.
As Canada pushes to be a world leader in sustainability, these regulations will bring the country closer to global practices.
Why is the federal government updating the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations?
According to ECCC, modernizing the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations will
- Strengthen environmental protection.
- Address the transformation of the pulp and paper industry.
- Simplify provisions to reduce the burden on the environment. It will also improve efficiency.
As Canada pushes to be a world leader in sustainability, these regulations will bring the country closer to global practices. For example, US and European Union regulations are currently more stringent. Perhaps it’s time for a revision in Canada.
What do the updated Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations look like?
The proposed PPER update sets stricter standards on the level of allowable contaminants in pulp and paper effluent discharged into the environment. The ECCC intends to lower effluent limits for regulated substances and add effluent limits for new parameters like temperature, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous), chemical oxygen demand, and pH. Since the last update in the 1990s, the Canadian pulp and paper industry has branched out and developed new products. The new regulations would expand to include nontraditional items like fabrics and food-processing ingredients.
If you’ve read the draft regulations, you’ll also see that the ECCC wants to simplify the administration of the PPER in several ways. This includes clarifying the process and effluent limits for idled, closing, and closed mills. The updated regulations would also modernize monitoring and reporting requirements (by incorporating a pH stabilization protocol for the toxicity test).
Pulp and paper companies treat their effluent—typically in two stages—before releasing it to the environment.
How to prepare for the updated Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations
We hope you now have an idea of what the updated pollution controls are all about. In our second blog—which we’ll be publishing soon—we’ll look at the next steps and how to prepare. We’ll talk about what to keep in mind, which includes
- Understanding what’s happening with your current operation
- Looking at effluent treatment system upgrades
- Knowing your environmental effects monitoring
- Weighing the benefits of expansion vs. enhancement
- Considering the future goals for your facility
We wish you good luck as you prepare for the updated pollution control regulations. Reach out to us if you need help working toward meeting the stricter standards of the PPER. We’d love to help.