Producers defend pulp technology<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Pulp and Paper Association
\nyesterday defended technology still in use by its members which
\nhas come under attack by an Australian environmental expert who
\nhas deemed it hazardous.<\/p>\n
Kahar Haryopuspito, the association's executive director, said
\nthe waste from pulp mills using chlorine-dioxide or element
\nchlorine-free (ECF) technology is far less dangerous than
\nindicated by Robert Cartmel.<\/p>\n
Cartmel, a former Greenpeace Australia activist, said in
\nJakarta on Tuesday that the chlorine dioxide used by pulp and
\npaper plants in Indonesia is toxic and dangerous to humans and
\nanimals which use rivers where the pulp plants discharge their
\nwaste.<\/p>\n
Cartmel said that if Indonesia does not change its pulp mills
\nover to totally chlorine-free (TCF) technology, it will suffer
\nlarge environmental disasters.<\/p>\n
Kahar told The Jakarta Post yesterday that mills using the ECF
\ntechnology only result in O.3 ppm of absorbable organic halogen
\n(AOX) entering waste water.<\/p>\n
He added that the maximum tolerable level is 1ppm of AOX.
\nHigher levels are considered toxic and may lead to cancer in
\nhumans.<\/p>\n
\"Some researchers are even suggesting that the danger level is
\nactually 2 ppm,\" he said. \"So an ECF mill's waste is way below
\nthe level that could cause cancer.\"<\/p>\n
\"If ECF is not hazardous why use TCF. The equipment required
\nfor a TCF mill, as well as the production process, are more
\nexpensive than ECF mills,\" Kahar said. \"A TCF mill requires ozone
\n(O3) for its bleaching process which is costly to obtain.\"<\/p>\n
The June 1995 edition of Papermaker, the industry's magazine
\npublished in Australia, said that there are 68 mills worldwide
\nthat use the TCF technology. The article said the 68 TCF pulp
\nmills account for only 7 percent of the world market share.<\/p>\n
Kahar said environmentalists like Greenpeace want the mills to
\nuse TCF technology. \"But Greenpeace sometimes oversee the
\neconomic side of it.\"<\/p>\n
On another issue, the association executive also refuted
\nearlier press reports suggesting that a number of new pulp mills
\nin Sumatra and Kalimantan would produce newsprint to make up for
\ncurrent market shortages. \"The proposed Bob Hasan and Prayogo
\nPangestu mills will process short-fiber materials for HVS paper.\"<\/p>\n
He said the newsprint crisis has been caused by shortage in
\nlong-fiber material used for newsprint.\"The most realistic
\nsolution to the crisis is to open the local market to imported
\npaper,\" he said. (06)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/producers-defend-pulp-technology-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}