According to the EA report, Spotlight on business Environmental performance in 2003, this was due to significant performance improvements. Paper and pulp was assessed in Spotlight for the first time this year, as large paper mills now require a Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) permit to operate.

Paper and pulp was one of the few sectors that did not incur large fines in 2003 for environmental incidents. The sector recovers two thirds of its waste, the highest proportion of all sectors covered by the Environment Agency.

There are 2,494 paper and pulp enterprises in the UK, less than 5% of which are directly regulated by the Environment Agency.

Those producing more than 20 tonnes per day, a total of 56 UK mills, were surveyed by the Environment Agency. Of these, around half were found to be well managed, with special mentions going to Ahlstrom Chirnside in Manchester, and Henry Cooke in Cumbria. P Garnett & Sons was also mentioned.

The Otley-based mill has reduced water use by 40% by re-using water that had previously been discharged as effluent. The company is also planning further work in this area.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said that a quarter of paper and pulp sites surveyed were found to be poorly managed. These are now working with the EA to improve management performance.

They included Selby-based Rigid Paper, LPC Group (Leicester), Sunderland Paper Mill, and Georgia Pacific in Mid Glamorgan.

Spotlight for 2003 found that serious pollution incidents overall were down by 15% on 2002, to 1,250.

Story by Andy Scott