"Black Liquor"
Initiative937 excludes "(ii) black liquor byproduct from paper production"
The commisioners argue that red liquor is not explicitly excluded and thus qualifies under I.937. Clearly you are fundamentally burning wood solids of identical origin in either scenario. Furthermore, the black liquor recovery process is likely more efficient in terms of clean air emission and chemical yield as it comes out in a smelt instead of having to recover chemical out of the air stream like one does in a red liquor scenario. If black liquor is disallowed then what's the argument for allowing red liquor?
The commisioners claim that they have official approval in the form of a letter from the department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED), but in fact they have nothing, as the letter from CTED states, the State Auditor is responsible for implementing I.937, not CTED. Futhermore Ms. Wilkerson only states "you may very well have grounds to claim" hardly an approval