TICONDEROGA, N.Y. (Nov. 15, 2006) — After only one week of a test burn of tire-derived fuel (TDF) at its Ticonderoga, N.Y., facility, International Paper Co. has decided it would not be cost-effective to use TDF there.
Vermont environmentalists and public officials tried to stop the TDF test in court, insisting the company needed to spend some $10 million to $15 million for extra pollution control equipment. An IP spokeswoman, however, said the scrubbers already in place at the plant were more than enough to control emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide at well below legal limits.
“But as we increased the levels of TDF we burned, we noticed an increase in the level of particulates,” she said. “Above all else, we have to maintain our commitment to the environment and our integrity.”
The decision at Ticonderoga won't affect IP's use of TDF at seven other U.S. facilities, she added.
The office of Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, an outspoken opponent of the test burn, had no immediate response to IP's decision.