The P5 will be honored tonight in Washington, D.C., when it receives the fourth-annual Most Valuable Pollution Prevention award by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable. The P5 is a partnership between the DEQ and the Michigan Pulp and Paper Environmental Council.

"Governor John Engler has made pollution prevention a principal focus of his environmental agenda because it clearly is the most effective approach to accomplishing our environmental goals," Harding said. "I am pleased that this successful partnership is receiving national recognition."

Pollution prevention is the elimination of pollution at its source, a highly effective and cost-effective approach to accomplishing environmental protection.

Michigan’s P5 program earned first place in the event, which takes place during National Pollution Prevention Week. The award recognizes the 16 pulp and paper facilities that made voluntary commitments to increase pollution prevention and source reduction to achieve quantifiable reductions in air, water, and hazardous and solid waste emissions.

David Merkel, chairman of the Michigan Pulp and Paper Environmental Council, said, "The mills of the Michigan Pulp and Paper Environmental Council are proud of our pollution prevention efforts. We have achieved better environmental results as a group than ever before, and all voluntarily. We are also proud of the bridges we are building with the DEQ, and look to this as the desired way to work together on issues."

Under P5, participating mills develop annual commitments to reduce pollution at their facilities through innovative approaches. From 1989 to 1998, while increasing production by 30 percent, the mills have reduced hazardous waste generation and total discharges of substances in wastewater by 66 percent, water use by 31 percent, and total air emissions by 13 percent.

The P5 project demonstrates that voluntary pollution prevention offers real environmental gains in an industry under significant economic pressure. The DEQ and participating mills have a strong commitment to this project and anticipate continued benefits from this partnership.

Mills that have participated in the project are ABT Co., a Louisiana Pacific company; Graphic Packing Corp.; Consolidated Papers Inc. – Niagara Division; Domtar, E.B. Eddy Inc.; Fletcher Paper; Georgia-Pacific Corp.; International Paper; Manistique Papers Inc.; Mead Corp.; Menominee Paper Co.; Packing Corporation of America; Paperboard Division – Menasha Corp.; Plainwell Paper; Rock-Tenn Co.; SAPPI Fine Paper North America; and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.

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