Climate-warming pollution from the U.S. paper industry is vastly under-reported because of exemptions in federal rules and worsened by badly outdated industrial equipment, with some boilers dating back to World War II burning dirty fuels like coal, tires, and wood.
Researchers examined the 185 largest pulp and paper mills in the U.S. and found that almost three quarters of them have outdated heating systems called boilers, which tend to be less efficient and release more pollution than newer ones. The average boiler dates back to President Reagan’s first term, when rotary-dial telephones were still a widely-used technology.
About half of the facilities (90 of the 185) reported burning a high-polluting wood waste product called “black liquor,” and 38 of the mills reported burning other dirty fuels, including coal, tires, or an oil refinery waste product called petroleum coke.
Accompanying data spreadsheet available here.
