The Finnish Environmental Institute praised the study of the tall oil plant

Länsi-Suomi

Rauma Forest Chemicals Oy is planning a tall oil distillery for Rauma. The environmental impact assessment of the construction work commissioned by the company has been the fault of the Southwest Finland Environment Institute, and the Environment Agency considers the assessment to be mainly successful and sufficient.

In the opinion of the Agency, the objectives, purpose and scope of the distillery plan are well described in the evaluation. The assessment also examines, among other things, the distillery’s effects on the sea, Rauma’s air quality, cityscape and traffic. In addition, the study considers how the project will affect people-to-people social relations through employment and economic development.

The Agency also saw certain shortcomings in the evaluation. If further distillation of tall oil is to take place in the distillery, odor nuisances may result, but this option has not been identified. In addition, the assessment may be difficult for the public to understand, as the distillery would be built in the immediate vicinity of Metsä-Botnia’s and Metsä-Rauma’s mills. According to the Agency, the professional terminology of the study may also cause difficulties for citizens.

Overall, however, the Agency considers the evaluation process to have been “reasonably well successful”, especially given its tight schedule. The report meets the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act.

Before starting construction work, Rauma Forest Chemicals Oy needs a building permit from the Rauma City Environmental Board. After this, the company must apply for an environmental permit from the Southwest Finland Environment Institute before commissioning the plant, in connection with which a comprehensive environmental impact monitoring program will be presented.