(Host) International Paper Company has halted a controversial test burn of tire derived fuel at its Ticonderoga plant.
The company announced late this afternoon that it was concluding the test after five days.
International Paper initially planned to test for fourteen days.
VPR’s Steve Zind reports:
(Zind) In announcing the end of the test burn the company said the data it collected shows that burning tire derived fuel in Ticonderoga would not be economically feasible.
Spokeswoman Donna Wadsworth says the results of the test means company won’t seek a permit to burn tires.
(Wadsworth) “Certainly not on the basis of the data that we’ve gathered this past week, we won’t be moving forward with an application. We would have had to have completed the whole trial and be satisfied with all the results before we could apply to use TDF on an ongoing basis. So you won’t see an application coming from us at this time.”
(Zind) Last week the test was halted temporarily when emissions reached unacceptable levels.
At the time the company was burning one ton of tire derived fuel per hour. It had anticipated burning up to three tons per hour during the test.
On Monday, the test was resumed at one quarter ton per hour. Wadsworth says no tire derived fuel was burned on Tuesday before the test was called off.
The company had estimated that burning tire derived fuel could save four million dollars a year.
The Ticonderoga facility is the smallest, highest cost mill in the company’s printing papers division and officials say it’s critical that costs be reduced if the plant is to remain competitive. That’s raised concerns that the plant could be closed unless tire derived fuel could be burned.
The company says based on the past week’s tests, burning that fuel doesn’t appear to be an option.
For Vermont Public Radio, I’m Steve Zind.