In case you have never seen part of a paper mill explode...

This happened the other day at a paper mill in Jay, Maine, NO deaths or serious injuries.....noting short of a miracle...

The digester blew as a result of a faulty relief valve and went straight up as designed ...

Strong language in video, you'll have to forgive the drivers as they were a bit concerned...

https://bangordailynews.com/2020/04...machine-operations-after-wednesday-explosion/

 

I spent many days and nights in paper mills. best part was that home cooking in the canteens. worst part was the smell. it would stay on coveralls through multiple washes.

 

Everett, WA had a section of I-5 that had quite the samell! We called EVER-ROTT, very embarrassing one time taking a new girlfriend thru there!

 

I made a sales call on a paper mill decades ago in Bellingham or Port Townsend ( I dont remember exactly where). I was selling them some computer equipment. When we went into the mill and thru a certain area, they gave me a hard hat and a mask. Then they told me if I heard the siren go, I was to run like hell. And not to wait for them, because they would be way ahead of me.

 

You boys need to understand you’re not telling Mike anything he hasn’t known for a long time. He lives in “ Stinkin Lincoln”.
I’m wondering 2 things. 1st, how high did the pulp go to stay in the air that long? 2nd, what’s the paint on those trucks look like after the “ rain”?

 

It must have went airborne for quite as distance, there is Black Liquor smeared all over the Town of Jay.....

Trucks got hosed down by the local FD, some better than others from what I'm hearing...quite a few spotted Aluminum rims as a result...

The paper mill smell is predominately from the Black Liquor. That's what rained down on the trucks mixed with wood fibers. I have hauled Black Liquor in Chemical Tankers as it is used as fuel in Recovery Boilers at the mills. Sometimes one mill cannot burn all the Black Liquor on site so it is trucked to other paper mills for use in their Recovery Boilers.

So you haul Black Liquor one way and then Green Liquor back. That is what is left after being run through the boilers.

The three stages linked below starting with the caustic White Liquor...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_liquor

Then after the pulping process..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_liquor

Then after being used as fuel for the Recovery Boiler

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_liquor

Recovery Boilers need to be inspected regularly as those are capable of flattening a city block if there is an issue...

First rule of Caustics is "You can put Caustic on water but you cannot put water on Caustic....so a water leak in the boiler itself can result in an earth shattering explosion....

When hauling Caustic and the customer wants less strength you always put the water in the tanker first and then went to the Caustic loading station.

Some of the guys blew up a 5 gallon pail one evening testing the water on Caustic theorem......after that they were believers for sure....sure as hell didn't want to see it happen in a 5,000 gallon tanker...

 

Smells like burnt broccoli. My sister lived a few miles from one in Camas,Wa.

 

Then there is the "aroma of Tacoma". The affected area has subsided significantly over the past couple decades.

 

Yep forgot about that one!

Then there was GP in Bellingham.

 

https://bangordailynews.com/2020/04...jay-mill-workers-bravery-following-explosion/

 

Pretty gutsy!

Mike, is the mill in Waterville still there @ 95/201?

 

You mean heading out 201? That’s known as the Hinkley Mill.
Scott Paper had it for years, now owned by Sappi.
Running well along with it’s much smaller counterpart in Westbrook.

 

https://www.sappi.com/somerset-mill

 

Yes, along 201. Must be the one. Glad it's still running. There was a little diner/restaurant along that stretch that we used to sometimes stop for a bite.

 

I see they have a mill in Matane, QB. Been there, too.

 

Technical difficulties, please stand by...

 

In this video you can see the overhead crane that unloads the trucks and feeds the mill. Also shows other toys along with some of the paper machines at Sappi Somerset...

https://www.wabi.tv/content/news/Sa...s-completion-of-latest-project-494435201.html