The article fails to acknowledge that both Tasmania and the International pulp and paper industry have made significant changes in land use and technology since the Wesley Vale Pulp Mill.

The 1989 proposal was when kraft pulp mills used elemental Chlorine in the bleaching process and Tasmania had less that 20% of its forests in reservation.

Modern pulp mills use only Elemental Chlorine Free bleaching processes either using Chlorine Dioxide (ECF) or ozone (TCF). The World Bank, ENSIS (a CSIRO joint venture) and the Tasmanian government expert consultants have assessed these new bleaching processes as being safe for the environment and human health.

The latest guidelines issued by the World Bank on Pulp and Paper mills available at http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/policyreview.nsf/Content/EHSGuidelinesUpdate_Comments states in relation to chlorinated dioxins and furans. “the levels of dioxins discharged are below the level of scientific significance when ECF or TCF bleaching technologies are used.”

Other issues such as smell have also solved in modern mills (see Ensis Research Capabilities & Achievements in Pulp and Paper Processing -Odour Management from the web)

On forest reservation, after the Helsham inquiry, the Green Labour Accord, the Salamanca Agreement, the Regional Forest Agreement and the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement the State now has 47% of it native forest reserved. See http://www.ffic.com.au/maps.html

The pulp mill is to be located in a heavy industrial zone alongside the Comalco Aluminium smelter established in 1950s, the Temco metal alloy plant and two export wood chip plants operating since the 1970’s and a power station.

As the expert report by ITS global concludes “Tasmania can do both” Have a clean green image and develop this important economic resource. This report can be downloaded from www.justice.tas.gov.au/justice/pulpmillassessment

That it is destined to go in an industrial zone anyway is a nonsense argument - that area already has enough heavy industry for the environment there to cope with - the mill should not go there.

Also I would take anything Ensis says with a pinch of salt, in their document titled "Frequently Asked Questions on Kraft Pulp Mills "

link here http://www.ffp.csiro.au/downloads/QuestionsonKraftPulp050308.pdf

It claims at Q16 that
"The 500 kg of each tonne of woodchips that does not end up as pulp (mainly lignin) will be burnt to release the solar energy stored by the tree in order to run the mill and to recycle the chemicals used to pulp the wood. Kraft mills are usually self sufficient in energy and often have a small excess of electricity to contribute to the State power grid. In summary the kraft process effectively runs on solar energy stored in the wood and turns carbon dioxide that a tree has converted into cellulose fibre into a useful and natural polymer, papermaking pulp."

I am no scientist but I don't think you can call burning wood products "Solar Energy", a statement like that makes me doubt anything else they may have to say.
Maybe I can use their article to claim a federal solar energy grant to put in a new wood heater - don't think I'll get far do you?