Publication Summary

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) received a State Innovation Grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct the Industrial Footprint Project. The primary goal of the project is to develop a performance measurement tool. This tool will assess the environmental, economic and social impacts of the pulp and paper sector and five pulp and paper facilities in Washington State. It will result in a numeric industrial footprint score for the sector and each facility.

We define an industrial footprint as the impact a major manufacturing facility has on the environment and community in which it′s located. The footprint analysis will consist of a series of parameters common to all the pulp and paper mills. Ensuring the reliability of the data will provide regulatory and facility decision-makers with the ability to benchmark performance, assess progress toward sustainability, and make investment and compliance decisions that improve environmental impacts.