Sappi Fine Paper's Cloquet mill is one of six statewide winners of the 2010 Minnesota Governor's Awards for Pollution.
Sappi made significant changes in the pulpmaking process that reduced the amounts of several sulfide compounds being emitted. The changes resulted in less of the infamous rotten egg smell coming from the plant and improved treatment of methanol, a byproduct of the sulfur compounds.
The changes also saved Sappi about $225,000 per year.
This is the 19th year of the awards given by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to honor superior environmental achievement by Minnesota businesses, nonprofits, government and institutions. Two independent panels of judges reviewed 26 applications and selected the six winners. The judges evaluated organizations based on innovative pollution and waste prevention, resource efficiency and sustainable practices.
Other winners included the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for its systemwide energy saving efforts, including solar-powered bathrooms at the new McQuade Road Boat Landing just outside Duluth and a geothermal heating/cooling system at Douglas Lodge at Itasca State Park. The DNR also has a wind-powered headquarters at Camden State Park and uses electric vehicles for maintenance at 19 parks.
ADVERTISEMENT
The other winners are East Metro Clean 'n' Press, a West St. Paul dry cleaners for energy saving efforts; the City of Buffalo for using sludge from sewage treatment to fuel boilers for the plant; City of St. Anthony for using filtered wastewater and stormwater to irrigate a municipal park; and Community Clean-ups for Water Quality in Minnesota River Valley, 13 organizations that worked to teach citizens to keep grass clippings, leaves and runoff out of the Minnesota River.
Application for the 2011 Governor's Awards for Pollution Prevention is open through Sept. 15. Go to www.pca.state.mn.us/govaward .
