Something in the air: Domtar's mill conversion impacts Kingsport residents

KINGSPORT — Over a year after the Domtar Kingsport Mill started its new operations as a recycled linerboard plant, both the industry and community members have taken note of the changes — and a particular smell — surrounding the facility.Tracy Miller, a resident of the Ridgefields community, said he has lived in Kingsport for about 20 years. Miller started noticing the occasional odor when he first moved to the area, but said it was at the time associated more with Eastman.He said the odor from Domtar has been much more recent, maybe within the past few months. Miller called the smell "unpleasant," one that has impacted his own quality of life."It's the kind of smell where it makes you not even want to be outside," said Miller. "Which is kind of sad, because where I live is real picturesque. I'm right at the foot of Bays Mountain. It's beautiful to look at, but when it smells like that, you don't even want to be outside."It also comes down to a concern about property value."I'm sure people notice it when they're scouting out the area for possible places to live," Miller said. "I know that people probably don't want to live in an area where they have to deal with odors."Angie Williams, a Ridgefields resident of 25 years, said her family has experienced the stench both in their yard and inside the house.Williams shared a similar sentiment, saying the odor is "harming [her] quality of life in the single largest investment I have."She called the smell "embarrassing" for such a beautiful area, and mentioned knowing several neighbors who have thought about moving because of the odor.Even on the outskirts of downtown Kingsport, beyond Ridgefields, Mount Carmel resident Lida King said her and her husband have noticed the odor. She said the smell would have made an impact on her decision to live in the Kingsport area if she would have been aware prior."I think that would have made a huge difference," said King. "We might have looked up more towards Jonesborough or Bristol, somewhere where this Domtar plant isn't."Domtar's plan of actionTroy Wilson, manager of Domtar's Kingsport mill, said the smell is directly related to their new process at the plant. He said the odor is coming from the 27-acre wastewater treatment plant, also referred to as a lagoon."So just to go way back before startup, the mill was idle for roughly three years," Wilson said. "All of our wastewater treatment facility went dormant for a while, and it is kind of like an ecosystem that you have to bring alive again. It actually has bugs that do their thing in this wastewater treatment plant, so we have to bring that back to life again."Since the mill's conversation, Wilson said Domtar has stabilized its operations and made "significant reductions in the amount of solids and flow to the wastewater treatment system."He said an anaerobic digester is just one of several options Domtar is considering to take care of the odor, but it would be a long-term solution. The digester would be used to convert the majority of organics to biogas, which would be used to fuel the mill's boilers.Wilson estimated it would take 18 to 24 months for that project to come to fruition. He said gaining access to that kind of equipment is not something that can happen overnight."You hear people talk about an anaerobic digester, but that's an engineering longer-term solution to get to a point where, if we're going to do something engineering wise, to invest a significant amount to change the facility in that way," Wilson said.He said Domtar is working on expediting that process to meet the levels of concern from the community."We understand the sensitivity to the community. That's why we're expediting this, we want happy citizens," Wilson said. "We want to belong in this community. We want the community to want us to be here. We offer great jobs and a great place to work and all those, but we do have to have the right to understand the sensitivities of the community that we work in and we manufacture our product in."He said that Domtar is not "just going to sit and wait on an engineering solution;" they are going to work on short-term solutions as well."There's this significant amount of money spent every month to just get us where we are today, to minimize or mitigate or reduce, with a long-term solution on the horizon," said Wilson. "Then we'll continue to do that until we put something in place that meets the needs of the community."Community inputWilson said Domtar started a website this year, domtarpackagingkingsport.com, that offers more information about what the facility is doing and the steps they are taking regarding environmental and other issues. Community members can also utilize the site to file a report or complaint."We want to give them an opportunity, if they have feedback for us, they need to have an avenue to do that," said Wilson. "That's why the website's there."The website has a page dedicated to frequently asked questions, including what Domtar is doing to mitigate the odor issues. The page states the mill has installed a system that helps block and minimize the odor around the wastewater treatment pond, along with "supplemental chemical oxidants" that are being added to "improve the efficiency of the decomposition process and minimize odor."On the "Our Path Forward" page, Domtar lists the following as next steps for odor mitigation:• Ongoing consultations with wastewater operations experts• Continued focus on reducing load to the wastewater treatment system• Regular addition of chemical oxidants to wastewater to minimize odor• Evaluate additional mechanical aeration for settling zone of lagoon• Develop lagoon dredge plan for solids removal in the settling zone• Engineering design underway for alternative long-term wastewater treatment system; initiate applicable environmental permittingKim Schofinski, deputy communications director for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said that when complaints are filed to their organization, each complaint is investigated."While TDEC's Division of Air Pollution Control does not regulate odors, we do regulate pollutants that can cause odor," Schofinski said in an email response to the Times News. "This is done by controlling the amount of emissions a facility is allowed to emit into the ambient air through the use of air pollution control devices and operating parameters."She said odors are not necessarily an indication of compliance or noncompliance with state and deferral regulations, but odors can be "inherent to a particular process."Thirteen odor-related complaints have been filed to TDEC, under the Tennessee Division of Air Pollution Control, since June 22, 2023. One complaint, investigated on June 26, still remains under review."TDEC's Division of Air Pollution Control's investigation of all complaints received prior to June 26, 2024 found no violations," said Schofinski. "There were no indications that the facility was not operating in accordance with their permits issued by TDEC's Division of Air Pollution Control."Wilson, along with Domtar Environmental and Sustainability Director Brian Kozlowski, will provide a regularly scheduled mill update to the Kingsport Economic Development Board at 10 a.m. July 9.To file a complaint with TDEC related to Domtar, contact the Johnson City field office.Phone number: 423-854-5400Webpage: https://www.tn.gov/environment/contacts/about-field-offices/field-offices/johnson.htmlTo contact Domtar, visit https://domtarpackagingkingsport.com/contact/.The Economic Development Board will host its next meeting at 10 a.m. on July 9. KEDB meetings are held in the Kingsport Chamber, located at 400 Clinchfield Street, Suite 100.Complaints filed by TDEC can be viewed online through public record. Below are excerpts from the TDEC data viewer, showing citizens' responses to the odor in their communication with TDEC."I do not know all of the violations. I do know that there is an awful odor in the air and it has gotten substantially worse over the past year. We moved here three years ago and there was no smell. Now, the smell in this city is VILE. The smell is SO VILE that we just lost a cash sale of our home. The buyers said they could not take the smell. We are trying to move and now we have NO hope of selling our home.""The smell of Sulfur is super strong today. Ever since Domtar started making recycled container board this happens more frequently. It is so bad it makes it hard to breath outside. It is causing headaches and respiratory issues. Please investigate!!!!""Extreme sulfur odor from the container board plant in Kingsport especially in the evening along the Holston river west of the operations. Ridgefields and fort Robinson seem to be the most effected neighborhoods but the locals have also complained further down towards church hill. It seems like some of the smell is actually coming from the river water itself. At times it's enough to make your eyes water outside. The odor is also strong enough to actually penetrate into our house with all the doors and windows shut. Something just doesn't seem right, this is a recent change since the new year. It just makes me concerned for our city's safety and our water source.""Domtar converted the Kingsport plant to container board. Recently they have been releasing something into the air that smells like rotten eggs. It travels for miles and causes respiratory problems, headaches, and nausea. On an overcast day it's especially awful.""Domtar is a paper plant where they are working with cardboard. They have a large lagoon where these carbides are decomposing. The smell that comes from that lagoon is affecting thousands of residents. The stench is so terrible that it is getting in our homes. Residents have complained about respiratory issues, migraines and nausea. This is happening several times per week for the past 4 weeks or so. I have contacted Domtar's environmental manager and she confirmed that's where the smell is coming from. The city of Kingsport, the Health Department as well as the TDEC have been notified.""Horrible sulfar smell being released by Domtar tonight. Its so strong it burns your nose several miles away from plant. All of downtown is unbearable.""The stench from Domtar is literally nauseating this morning. For weeks since all the complaints last month it had been greatly improved but it is bad again today."2020April 6, 2020 — Domtar idles paper mill due to COVID-19 pandemicAug. 7, 2020 — Domtar Corp. announces the change from an uncoated freshsheet manufacturing plant to linerboardAug. 11, 2020 — Kingsport BMA and KEDB approve PILOT agreement for Domtar, including a land swap deal. Domtar would receive Cloud Park in exchange for Cement Hill2021Jan. 15, 2021 — Troy Wilson named new Kingsport mill managerMay 14, 2021 — Domtar breaks ground on renovation and expansion of the Kingsport mill2022June 6, 2022 — Domtar announces dedication of bridgeSept. 20, 2022 — Domtar opens new truck delivery entrance2023Jan. 17, 2023 — Domtar Kingsport Mill resumes operationsMay 25, 2023 — Domtar hosts ribbon cutting for converted and updated facility