Pulp and paper technical guidance: questions and answers to assist mills, chapter 13

Generic Examples

Guidance to assist mills in identifying a path through the EEM program, including decisions trees, is available in Chapter 1 (Figures 1-1 and 1-2) of the 2010 Pulp and Paper Technical Guidance for Environmental Effects Monitoring. A few generic examples based on the decision trees are presented below.

• Mill A: Confirmed a large decrease in fish gonad size and a large eutrophication response
• Mill B: Confirmed a large eutrophication response
• Mill C: Confirmed a large decrease in fish gonad size
• Mill D: Confirmed small and/or non-prioritized effects
• Mill E: Unconfirmed effects

Mill A

Mill A has confirmed a large decrease in fish gonad size and a large eutrophication response. Other small and non-prioritized effects, such as increased condition or age, have also been confirmed.

Mill A conducts investigations (magnitude and extent, investigation of cause, and investigation of solution) for all confirmed effects. It is assumed that by this time (Cycle 6) all mills have enough information to describe the magnitude and extent of each effect without conducting further field studies and can proceed to conducting investigation of cause and investigation of solution studies.

Large eutrophication response

Since most causes of eutrophication by pulp and paper mill effluent are now well documented, most mills can determine the causes of the eutrophication response observed in their receiving environment without conducting a specific investigation of cause study. Mills that can determine the cause of the eutrophication response in their receiving environment can proceed directly to investigation of solution studies. However, if the cause of the eutrophication is not known, the mill first conducts an investigation of cause study and once the cause is determined, conducts (in the same or subsequent cycle) an investigation of solution study

Large decrease in fish gonad size

In the same cycle or in a later cycle*, mill A conducts investigations for the large decrease in fish gonad size.

*Since there are confirmed effects in more than one component, and investigations for each component can be completed independently, mill A could first investigate the large eutrophication response and then in a subsequent cycle investigate the large decrease in gonad size or vice versa. Mill A can also choose to investigate the confirmed effects in each component concurrently (i.e., in the same cycle).

Small and non-prioritized effects

During investigations for prioritized effects, mill A conducts investigations for all small and non-prioritized confirmed effects using existing information, data and scientific literature.

If mill A, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing a description of the magnitude and extent of all confirmed effects in all components, the causes of these effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate all confirmed effects in all components, as well as the results of those solutions, the next interpretive report will be required at the end of Cycle 8.

If mill A, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing a description of the magnitude and extent of any of the confirmed effects, the causes of these effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate these effects, as well as the results of those solutions, the investigation requirements for this mill will be partially fulfilled. In that case, the Cycle 6 interpretive report will also need to include an explanation of the reasons why the causes and solutions for the other confirmed effects were not determined and a description of any steps that need to be taken in the next study in Cycle 7 to determine the causes of these other effects and identify the solutions. The next interpretive report will be required at the end of Cycle 7.

Mill B

Mill B has confirmed a large eutrophication response. Other small and non prioritized effects have also been confirmed.

Mill B conducts investigations (magnitude and extent, investigation of cause, and investigation of solution) for all confirmed effects. It is assumed that by this time (Cycle 6) all mills have enough information to describe the magnitude and extent of each effect without conducting further field studies and can proceed to conducting investigation of cause and investigation of solution studies.

Eutrophication response

Since most causes of eutrophication by pulp and paper mill effluent are now well documented, most mills can determine the causes of the eutrophication response observed in their receiving environment without conducting a specific investigation of cause study. Mills that can determine the cause of the eutrophication response in their receiving environment can proceed directly to investigation of solution studies. However, if the cause of the eutrophication is not known, the mill first conducts an investigation of cause study and once the cause is determined, conducts an investigation of solution study.

Small and non-prioritized effects

In the same cycle, mill B conducts investigations for all small and non-prioritized confirmed effects using existing information, data and scientific literature.

If mill B, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing: a description of the magnitude and extent of all confirmed effects in all components, the causes of these effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate all confirmed effects in all components, as well as the results of those solutions, the next interpretive report would be required at the end of Cycle 8.

If mill B, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing a description of the magnitude and extent of any of the confirmed effects, the causes of these effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate these effects, as well as the results of those solutions, the investigation requirements for this mill will be partially fulfilled. In that case, the Cycle 6 interpretive report will also need to include an explanation of the reasons why the causes and solutions for the other confirmed effects were not determined and a description of any steps that need to be taken in the next study in Cycle 7 to determine the causes of these other effects and identify the solutions. The next interpretive report will be required at the end of Cycle 7.

Mill C

Mill C has confirmed a large effect for decrease in fish gonad size. Other small and/or non-prioritized effects have also been confirmed.

Mill C conducts investigations (magnitude and extent, investigation of cause, and investigation of solution) for all confirmed effects. It is assumed that by this time (Cycle 6) all mills have enough information to describe the magnitude and extent of each effect without conducting further field studies and can proceed to conducting investigation of cause and investigation of solution studies.

Decrease in fish gonad size

Mill C conducts an investigation of cause study if the cause of the effect is unknown or an investigation of solution study if the cause is known. Mill C can conduct the investigation of cause and investigation of solution studies individually or as part of the national study on reduced fish gonads.

Small and non-prioritized effects

In the same cycle, mill C also conducts investigations for all small and non prioritized confirmed effects using existing information, data and scientific literature.

If mill C, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing a description of the magnitude and extent of all confirmed effects in all components, the causes of these effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate all confirmed effects in all components, as well as the results of those solutions, the next interpretive report will be required at the end of Cycle 8.

If mill C, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing a description of the magnitude and extent of any of the confirmed effects, the causes of these effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate these effects, as well as the results of those solutions, the investigation requirements for this mill will be partially fulfilled. In that case, the Cycle 6 interpretive report would also need to include an explanation of the reasons why the causes and solutions for some confirmed effects were not determined and a description of any steps that need to be taken in the next study in Cycle 7 to determine the causes of those effects and identify the solutions. The next interpretive report would then be required at the end of Cycle 7.

Mill D

Mill D has confirmed small and/or non-prioritized effects.

Mill D conducts investigations (magnitude and extent, investigation of cause, and investigation of solution) for all confirmed effects using existing information, data and scientific literature. It is assumed that by this time (Cycle 6) all mills have enough information to describe the magnitude of each effect without conducting further field studies and can proceed to conducting investigation of cause and investigation of solution studies. When confirmed effects are below critical effect size, it is also assumed that the extent of the effects is also known, based on the fact that it would be unlikely that larger effects would be found farther away from existing monitoring sites.

If mill D, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing a description of the magnitude and extent of all confirmed effects in all components, the causes of these effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate all confirmed effects in all components, as well as the results of those solutions, the next interpretive report would be required at the end of Cycle 8.

Mill E

Mill E has unconfirmed (i.e., inconclusive or inconsistent) effects.

Before submitting the next study design, mill E examines data and information from all EEM studies conducted to date and, using a weight-of-evidence approach, determines if the data are interpretable. Data and information from other studies conducted at the same location can be used to help interpret EEM results.

If data are interpretable and indicate that effects are present, the mill can conduct investigations with the level of effort appropriate to the magnitude and type of effects observed. If mill E, in Cycle 6, submits an interpretive report containing a description of the magnitude and extent of all interpretable effects in all components, the causes of the effects and any supporting raw data, and a description of the studies that were used to identify possible solutions to eliminate the effects, as well as the results of those solutions, the next interpretive report will be required at the end of Cycle 8.

If the newly interpreted results show that effects are not present, the mill submits an addendum to the most recent interpretive report (for example, Cycle 5) containing the newly interpreted results and any supporting raw data and submits the next interpretive report six years after the day on which the most recent interpretive report was required to be submitted (for example, end of Cycle 7).