Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Ltd. - conviction information for 2023-12-15
| Corporation name: | Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Ltd. |
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| Address: | Highway 10 North Box 1590 |
| City: | The Pas |
| Province/territory: | Manitoba |
| Postal code: | R9A 1S3 |
| Country: | Canada |
| Sector or industry: | 322 - Paper manufacturing |
| Location of offense: | Highway 10 North Box 1590, The Pas, Manitoba |
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| Case summary: |
Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited (CKP) owns and operates a pulp and paper mill near the town of The Pas, Manitoba. The mill is situated approximately 2 kilometres north of the Saskatchewan River and is 8 kilometres northeast of The Pas.
On February 25, 2019, there was a leak in a pipe that contained black liquor that flows to an evaporator as part of the mill’s “kraft” recovery process. Black liquor is a by-product of the manufacturing process that is fired in the recovery boiler to generate steam, and recover inorganic smelt to produce white liquor. Black liquor is not intended to be discharged into the effluent treatment system.
The design capacity of the spill pond is 38 million litres. However, at the time of this incident, the spill pond was approximately 50% full of lime mud, reducing its holding capacity. The spill pond at the time of the black liquor release was at approximately 70% capacity. As the black liquor was released, once the spill pond was at 100% capacity the black liquor flowed directly into the settling basin and then to the aerated lagoon.
The incident led to approximately 181 million litres of acutely lethal effluent to enter the Saskatchewan River between February 27, 2019, and March 4, 2019.
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| Charges: |
Count 1
On or between February 27, 2019, and March 4, 2019, at or near The Pas, in the Province of Manitoba, did unlawfully deposit or permit the deposit of acutely lethal effluent in water frequented by fish or in a place where the acutely lethal effluent may enter water frequented by fish, contrary to subsection 6(5) of the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations, and subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act, and thereby did commit an offence under subsection 40(2) of the Fisheries Act.
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| Enforcement notification: | Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited fined $1 million for unlawful deposit of effluent into the Saskatchewan River |
| Result: | Guilty Plea |
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| Date of conviction: | 2023-12-15 |
| Court level: | Provincial and Territorial Court |
| Nature of offense(s): |
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| Additional details about the nature of the offense: |
| Act | Regulations | Section(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Pollution Prevention provisions (subsection 36(3)) of the Fisheries Act | Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations | 6(5), 36(3), 40(2) |
| Date of sentencing: |
2023-12-15 |
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| Location of sentencing: | The Pas, Manitoba |
| Sentence(s): |
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| Amount of fine(s): | $1,000,000 |
| Sentencing details: |
On the 15th day of December 2023 before the Provincial Court of Manitoba, in The Pas, Manitoba, Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited was convicted of:
One count of a violation of subsection 6(5) of the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations, SOR/92-269, and subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act, and thereby did commit an offence under subsection 40(2) of said Act.
Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited was ordered to pay a total of $1,000,000.00 in federal fines to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund. The company was also ordered to commission an environmental audit from a qualified consultant of its choosing. A report identifying the consultant’s recommendations and actions to address those recommendations shall be provided to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
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