AC repair inRiceboro, GA

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A plan by the world’s largest real estate company to open a toxic log fumigation plant in a rural African-American community faces opposition from local elected officials.

Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser, which in 2022 owned or held long-term contracts on 631,000 acres of timberland statewide, has filed an application with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to open a log fumigation plant near Riceboro. The operation would place logs from the company’s vast timber holdings under tarps, then spray a chemical called methyl bromide (also known as bromomethane) under the tarps to kill any bugs or mold. The process is similar to tenting a house for termites.

The concern is, say experts, when the tent (or tarp) uncovers the treated wood, methyl bromide escapes into the air where it can spread over a wide area.

Methyl bromide is a dangerous chemical that depletes the ozone layer. The U.S. phased out its use for most purposes in 2005. However, according to the EPA, methyl bromide is still permissible for treating shipping lumber and tree seedlings.

The National Pesticide Information Center notes that methyl bromide kills “a wide variety of pests including spiders, mites, fungi, plants, insects, nematodes, and rodents,” and that [s]cientists believe that methyl bromide is toxic because it damages several sites in organism’s cells. Methyl bromide binds to DNA, fats, and proteins.” Methyl bromide exposure in lab animals “affect[ed] the brain, kidneys, nose, heart, adrenal glands, liver, testes, and lungs,” according to NPIC. The chemical also was implicated in DNA damage and at least two cases of testicular cancer, but is classified as a Group D carcinogen. The EPA’s Group D designation means there is not enough data “either to support or refute human carcinogenicity” — meaning that scientists have not done enough research on whether methyl bromide causes cancer.

According to the EPA, other chemicals used for treating lumber may be even more dangerous. Non-chemical alternatives like drying shipping lumber in a kiln can take several weeks, while methyl bromide tenting treats wood in as little as 24 hours.

“Nobody wants it,” Riceboro Mayor Chris Stacy flatly stated as he made preparations for the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting celebration next to City Hall. Directly behind City Hall and the adjacent public park is a massive plant that operates 24 hours a day. The city also hosts a paper mill that often leaves the air heavy with the distinctive smell of pulp operations.

Stacy called a press conference for 10 a.m. Monday on the steps of Riceboro City Hall to address the community’s opposition to the log fumigation project — and he invited community members to show up.

Although Riceboro residents and their neighbors in nearby unincorporated communities like Chatman and Retreat will be most affected, Stacy said the city cannot directly prevent the project from going forward.

“Really, that’s not in our jurisdiction,” he explained. “That’s in the county. So we’ll just partner with the county.” He added that he was supposed to meet with State Rep. Al Williams, who was at the state capitol in Atlanta for the special session on redistricting, last week. “Right now, it’s still pending. [County Administrator] Joey Brown and them wrote a letter to EPD stating the whole community is against it. So that’s kind of where they’re at with it right now…. Hopefully, they turn it down.”

In a Nov. 18, 2023, letter to James Boylan, chief of the Air Protection Division at Georgia EPD, Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette said the county had several concerns about Weyerhaeuser’s plans to use methyl bromide at the Riceboro Log Yard facility, citing the risks of “significant physical and environmental harm … noted in the fact sheet published as part of [Weyerhaeuser’s] permit request.”

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BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Dow L Loverre LIBERTY COUNTY MAX R. Joes, IV " 100 an Stace «Sure 1320 psmerd MARION STEVENS, SR. Hnesvu, Geomau 31313 Gary Giuaro Der 1 GizjsToios Dsmers JUSTIN L. FRASIER ZT opieJ. WaLoEN Deer 2 3 Durer6 Swear = Cow ApuwsTaaToR November 18,2023 James Boylan Chief, Air Protection Branch Ga. Environmental Protection Division 4244 Intemational Pkwy., Suite 120 Atlanta, Georgia 30354 RE: Air Permit Application/Weyerhaeuser Riceboro Log Yard Dear Mr. Boylan, Tt has been brought to our attention that apermit application has been filed with Georgia EPD for the above referenced facility. While we have no problem with the facility itself, we have very strong concerns about certain aspectsofthe operation. ‘The effects of the chemical, Methyl bromide, proposed for use in the fumigation process, may create significant physical and environmental harm. These risks have been well documented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are noted in the fact sheet published as partof tis permit request. We have not been privy as to how Weyerhaeuser proposes to safely mitigate the toxic material use and release but have grave concerns about amounts proposed for use during the process, their proposed enclosures for conducting the operation, and the lack of any pollution control devices. Data indicates that in certain atmospheric conditions the material, in its gascous form, may remain close to the ground after venting and have a slower rate of dissipation than normal. Given the delicate balance of ecosystems in this area this is alsoofconcern. Environmental interests aside, the use of the chemical also presents a challenge in emergency response preparations for our County. We have researched requirementsandprocedures associated with scene engagement where the presence of Mb is in use. The protocol for responders is tenuous at best and requires the use of special materials, equipment, protective clothing, and properly trained personnel. The proposed yard is in an areaservedby a volunteer fire department that docs not possess any of the above. In fact, there is not adepartment within a S0-mile radius that meets

Lovette wrote that neither Riceboro’s nor Liberty County’s first responders are equipped to handle emergencies at the facility: “We have researched requirements and procedures associated with scene engagement where the presence of Mb is in use. The protocol for responders is tenuous at best and requires the use of special materials, equipment, protective clothing, and properly trained personnel.

“The proposed yard is in an area served by a volunteer fire department that does not possess any of the above. In fact, there is not a department within a 50-mile radius that meets these requirements. I realize that the applicant proposes to use the utmost care in handling of the chemical and operation of the facility. However, an accident at the location would prove to be very challenging at best with negative results,” Lovette said.

Lovette also says the proposed use of methyl bromide violates the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which he says “calls for the area adjacent to the proposed site to be a mixed-use community.” “Given this designation, it is very likely that a substantial number of densely populated residential dwellings will be within a mile of the location,” he said. “The use and release of the proposed Mb fumigant, even in normal conditions, is not rational and again may lead to unwanted circumstances in emergency situations.”

Lovette urged Georgia EPD’s help “to ensure that the fumigant is not Methyl bromide and that the chemical proposed for use does not harm our environment or poses a threat to first responders and citizens.”

“We ‘re all in it together,” Stacy said. “Let’s continue to fight together.”

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with The Current.

Tags: Georgia liberty county environment Georgia Politics

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Coastal Courier (Hinesville, Ga.)

RICEBORO — Area elected officials urged the public Monday morning to help them against a corporation.

On the Riceboro City Hall steps, a crowd of more than 60 people turned out to echo opposition to a permit before the state Environmental Protection Division that if approved would allow a timber company to use a highly toxic substance on logs before shipping them overseas.

“We’re here to let Weyerhaueser know we are opposed to this development,” said Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway). “Secondly, we’re here to let the Environmental Protection Division of Georgia know that we are opposed to this.”

Weyerhaueser, which was granted a rezoning for a log processing operation, has asked for an expedited permit from the EPD to use methyl bromide, which is toxic. The group 100 Miles, an organization that seeks to protect Georgia’s 100 miles of coastline, found out about the permit, Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette said, and got in touch with Riceboro Mayor Chris Stacy.

“This alert caught the eye and attention of many citizens,” Lovette said.

With the public comment deadline approaching, Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission executive director Jeff Ricketson wrote the EPD in opposition to the permit and asked the EPD to either deny the permit or require the company to use an alternative method.

“I also submitted a letter citing public safety as a major concern and that if this plant is allowed to operate, a substitute chemical that does not pose a threat to the environment, first responders and the community must be used,” Lovette said.

Lovette, Stacy and Williams also were joined by county Commissioner Marion Stevens, in whose district the timber operation lies, and state Rep. Buddy Deloach (R-Shellman Bluff).

Liberty County commissioners granted rezoning to Weyerhaeuser back in January, taking 28 acres off Highway 17 from A-1 to I-1 to process the logs. The site is about a mile north of the Interstate 95/Highway 17 interchange at exit 67 and about five miles south of Riceboro City Hall.

According to the company’s rezoning request, logs at the facility may undergo debarking, merchandising with a cut-to-length system or fumigation before being loaded onto shipping containers and sent to the Savannah port.

The company reported expecting about 60 trucks per day in and out of the facility.

But no mention of what the company was going to use to fumigate the logs was made at the rezoning request.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, methyl bromide is used to control pests in agriculture and shipping. Methyl bromide is odorless and colorless and has been designated as a compound that depletes the ozone layer. The U.S. has phased out production of use of methyl bromide, according to the EPA, with important exceptions for uses such as quarantine and preshipment.

It is used to treat commodities such as grapes, asparagus, logs and other imported goods, according to the EPA, to prevent pests from coming into the U.S.

Methyl bromide is a toxic substance and because it dissipates rapidly into the atmosphere, it is most dangerous at its fumigation site. According to the EPA, human exposure to high concentrations of methyl bromide can cause central nervous system and respiratory system failures and can harm the lungs, eyes and skin.

Williams said the project did not come through the Liberty County Development Authority, where he is vice chairman, and said he would have voted against it had it done so. Williams cited the location’s proximity to residences and potential runoff that could further damage the local fishing and shrimping industry in neighboring McIntosh County.

“This is just not the project for this part of Georgia,” he said.

No official had a timetable on when EPD will rule on the permit but Stacy promised to hold other town hall meetings to keep the public informed.

Though the public comment period on the permit application closed in November, local leaders continued to urge the public to write to the EPD in opposition to the permit.

“We are going to have to make sure that our voices are heard,” Williams said. “I think there is pretty much a consensus this a no-no for this community and it would be terrible to locate it in this community. Somebody else might want it — but they need to know we don’t.”

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - Investigators are continuing their search for answers after hunters found a woman’s body in the woods near Riceboro on Dec. 2.

Members of law enforcement still haven’t been able to identify her, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has released a sketch of what they believe the woman looked like.

The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office is working in collaboration with the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI on the investigation. Investigators hope this most recent sketch of the unidentified woman will help shed some light on the case.

According to deputies, hunters found the body in the area of Barrington Ferry Road and Jones Road in Liberty County near the McIntosh County line. Something detectives say is unusual for the area.

“There’s not a lot of calls for service in that area, pretty rural, old farming area,” Detective Jack Frost said.

The incident is being treated as a homicide the initial incident report states that the woman’s body was dismembered. This sketch from the GBI one of the only glimpses of who the woman could be.

“We’ve gotten some tips that have come in, but we’ve been able to get through them pretty quick. The deceased had no scars, marks, anything like that.”

A drive through the area shows how dense the wooded area where the woman was found can be, but it’s not necessarily remote.

“The roadway, for it being dirt, it does get a lot of travel. You’ll even see FedEx and UPS trucks using that route from Townsend back into Riceboro.”

The initial incident report also says investigators found a knife near the body. However, it’s unclear if it has anything to do with the case.

“If you’ve been out there on that road, there’s a lot of debris on the side of the road. At this point, we don’t know what’s important and what’s not. There was a lot of debris that was collected, not knowing what belongs and what doesn’t belong that’s involved with this.”

Investigators seeking the public’s help to solve this case, as no arrests have been made.

“You never know when that once piece of information something that was odd, something that stood out, a different type of behavior from somebody. Definitely call it in, and we’ll look at it.”

If you recognize the woman in the sketch, or have any information about the case, you’re asked to contact the GBI’s tip line at 1-800-597-8477 or click here to submit the information online.

Copyright 2022 WTOC. All rights reserved.

DS Smith, a London-based provider of sustainable fiber-based packaging, has announced that its paper mill in southeast Georgia in the United States has earned top honors as an industry leader in energy efficiency. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has recognized DS Smith’s mill in Riceboro, Georgia, as the first ISO-50001 certified facility in the pulp, paper and paper products industry in North America.

According to a news release from DS Smith, the company is one of only 145 sites in the United States to have received this certification since the ISO’s program began in 2012. According to the most recent ISO survey, the organization had certified 260 companies worldwide in the pulp, paper and paper products sector.

“The old adage that you can’t manage what you don’t measure has never been more important than today,” says Giancarlo Maroto, managing director, paper, forestry and recycling for DS Smith North America. “We’re extremely proud of our Riceboro team and the work they put in to pass the rigorous ISO audit and be recognized as the first paper mill in the U.S. to be ISO-50001 certified. This program will guide us in our plans to boost energy efficiency, improve environmental quality and achieve our goal of reducing carbon emissions, a major component of our Now and Next sustainability strategy, and our ambitious climate targets.”

The Riceboro facility produces kraft linerboard. An ISO-approved audit team visited the mill, certifying that it uses an energy management systems (EnMS), based on the ISO-50001 internationally recognized framework for integrating energy management into its existing processes. An EnMS system enables organizations to better manage their energy performance to operate more efficiently.

“This is an important achievement that will ensure energy best practices are identified and delivered across the Riceboro site, and it will enhance cooperation across the entire company,” says Martin Mead, head of energy efficiency at DS Smith. “Energy efficiency is a major driver to both decarbonizing our operations and reducing costs. Riceboro’s ISO-50001 certification will ensure that behavioral change contributes to this.”

Additionally, DS Smith says it has invested $140 million in research and development to accelerate its work in the circular economy. The company says that investment ties into its Now and Next sustainability strategy, which pledges to manufacture 100 percent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2023 and to take 1 billion pieces of plastic scrap off supermarket shelves by 2025.

The Riceboro facility, one of the largest employers in Liberty Country, is considered one of the nation’s cleanest effluent paper mills, producing Kraft linerboard.

An ISO-approved audit team visited the mill, certifying that it uses an Energy Management Systems (EnMS), based on the ISO-50001 internationally recognized framework for integrating energy management into its existing processes. An EnMS system enables organizations to better manage their energy performance to operate more efficiently.

DS Smith recently announced a series of carbon reduction targets, including a science-based target that requires a 40% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions per ton of product by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, and a commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

“This is an important achievement that will ensure energy best practices are identified and delivered across the Riceboro site, and it will enhance cooperation across the entire company,” said Martin Mead, head of energy efficiency at DS Smith “Energy efficiency is a major driver to both decarbonizing our operations and reducing costs. Riceboro’s ISO 50001 certification will ensure that behavioral change contributes to this.”

In addition to its climate action commitment, DS Smith recently announced its $140 million research and development and innovation package to accelerate its work in the circular economy. The new investment underpins DS Smith’s new circular economy led sustainability strategy, Now and Next, which pledges to manufacture 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2023 and to take a billion pieces of problem plastics off supermarket shelves by 2025.

The Riceboro paper mill team was supported in adopting the DS Smith Group EnMS by RMK Sustainability Group. TUV-Rheinland, an accredited member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), conducted the audit.

Certification is designed improve energy performance, including setting goals, understanding data related to energy consumption and evaluating energy management system performance.

About DS Smith

DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable fiber-based packaging worldwide, which is supported by recycling and papermaking operations. It plays a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods and industrials. Through its purpose of ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’ and its Now and Next sustainability strategy, DS Smith is committed to leading the transition to the circular economy, while delivering more circular solutions for its customers and wider society – replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains and providing innovative recycling solutions. Its bespoke box-to-box in 14 days model, design capabilities and innovation strategy sits at the heart of this response. Headquartered in London and a member of the FTSE 100, DS Smith operates in 34 countries employing around 30,000 people and is a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Its history can be traced back to the box-making businesses started in the 1940s by the Smith family.

North American operations are headquartered in Atlanta, with 13 manufacturing, paper and recycling facilities, totaling more than 2,000 employees. Using the combined expertise of its divisions – including Packaging, Recycling, Paper – DS Smith works with customers to develop solutions that reduce complexity and deliver results throughout the supply chain.