The regular monitoring programme includes:
- Measuring total suspended particles in the air, at six sites in the community
- Measuring particle matter and chemicals in stack emissions
The objectives of the monitoring programme are to:
- Observe trends and patterns in ambient air quality over time
- Make sure that the company complies with its consent conditions
- Obtain data about background levels of air pollutants
- Confirm that air pollution control equipment is cleaning air emissions effectively
Air quality monitoring equipment is stationed around the outskirts of the mill to measure the quantity of dust particles in the air. Samples are collected weekly for evaluation by the company's environmental staff and are compared with nationally accepted standards. The air emissions discharged via stacks are also monitored regularly. Sampling equipment is inserted inside the stack and a sample is taken to measure the volume of dust emitted from the stack, or hydrogen chloride levels in the case of the pickling line, where acid is used in the process.
