Pulp discharge at Millar Western mill, Whitecourt

A sensor failure in the Millar Western pulp mill’s drying system has resulted in an unintended discharge of a small volume of dried, fluff pulp that was disbursed by wind into a roughly-three block area of the Whitecourt downtown. This brief event took place in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 5, 2019. There are no environmental, health or safety concerns associated with this disbursement of dried pulp, but there are nuisance and cleanup issues that the company is now working to address.

We have communicated with Town of Whitecourt officials, and are working with them to conduct a cleanup using street sweepers and other equipment. We will continue to keep all authorities informed as we look into the reason for the sensor failure and as we implement our cleanup plan.

We thank community residents for their patience as we conduct this work. Anyone wishing to report cleanup requirements or issues may call 780-486-8249 or email mwfp@millarwestern.com.