The release of black liquor from the paper mill in Billingsfors could have major consequences for the environment, according to Olof Åkesson who is technical manager at the industrial unit at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
– The discharge is quite large and its effect depends on how concentrated it was from the beginning, he says.
It was yesterday evening that a leak in a tank was discovered at the paper mill in Billingsfors in Bengtsfors municipality. 400,000 liters of black liquor leaked out, of which 5,000 ended up in nearby Laxsjön, as TV4 Nyheterna previously reported.
The leak has now been stopped and it has been possible to handle the largest amounts of emissions internally, before they ended up in the lake.
Serious environmental impact
But the leak could still have a serious environmental impact, according to Olof Åkesson at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. This could mean that the PH value in the immediate environment is raised, which would mean a risk to the fish and animal life in the water.
– The acute effect could be that fish die, but it depends on how concentrated the black liquor was when it reached the lake, he says.
Olof Åkesson at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
Olof Åkesson at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
Photo: Private
– Black liquor is difficult to pick up, it’s not like oil that ends up in water. Once it reaches the water there isn’t much you can do. The swimming season hasn’t really started yet, but I wouldn’t swim in the lake right now, says Olof Andersson.
“Dilute”
According to Jonas Lindqvist, site manager at the paper mill, a release of this size is not that dangerous even if the incident is taken very seriously. It is difficult to answer how concentrated the black liquor was when it reached Laxsjön.
– It is diluted in a flash because it is quite current at the site, says Jonas Lindqvist.
Large parts of the factory will work as usual during Tuesday. They will also investigate the incident internally and have ongoing contact with the authorities, according to the site manager.