NewPage Port Hawkesbury Corp.

NewPage Port Hawkesbury Corp.
The Woodlands Unit of the NewPage Port Hawkesbury Mill has operated in Nova Scotia since 1962. The
company uses 910,000 tonnes of softwood each year at full production for its Newsprint Mill and
Supercalendered (SC) Mill.
The wood comes primarily from the seven eastern counties of Nova Scotia where NewPage Port
Hawkesbury manages approximately 607,000 hectares of licensed Crown land and 24,000 hectares of
company-owned land. Some wood is purchased further west and a small amount from Prince Edward
Island. Fifty percent of the logs are harvested from Crown and company managed lands, 33% is purchased
from private suppliers, at roadside or as stumpage, and approximately 17% comes in the form of sawmill
chips from local sawmills.
NewPage Port Hawkesbury has been registered to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
Standard since 1998. The company has also maintained a sustainable forest management system with
certifications to the Canadian Standards Association Z809 standard (since 2002) and the Forest Stewardship
Council Maritime Standard (since 2008). The company was initially certified to the SFI standard from 2002
to early 2008 and decided to leave the SFI program once certified to the FSC Maritime Standard. In June
2009, NewPage Port Hawkesbury became re–certified to the SFI program to meet certification needs of our
U.S. paper customers. In addition, this re-certification to SFI demonstrates NewPage’s ongoing commitment
to all credible forest certification standards. The company’s wood traceability program is also verified
through two Chain-of-Custody certifications – the Forest Stewardship Council and the Program for the
Endorsement of Forest Certifications (since 2008).
Background
During the period of October 6 – 9, 2009, NewPage Port Hawkesbury
Corporation underwent a surveillance audit to CAN/CSA Z809-2002. The
registration cycle is over 3 years with surveillance audits conducted
annually. This report summarizes the audit process and results of the QMISAI Global surveillance audit.
Scope of Certification
The sustainable forest management system as it applies to the defined forest area
under management by the Woodlands Unit of NewPage Port Hawkesbury
Limited. The defined forest area includes company freehold lands in Nova
Scotia and Crown lands licensed to the Company by the province of Nova
Scotia.
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Executive Summary
The CSA Z809-2002 SFM third-party surveillance audit was undertaken by
QMI-SAI Global. QMI-SAI Global is an independent third party registrar
that is accredited by the Standard Council of Canada (SCC) for registrations
to the CAN/CSA Z809-2002 SFM standard. This ensures the integrity and
credibility of the audit process.
The audit assessed active and completed harvest operations, silvilculture
operations and the Value, Objectives, Indicators and Targets through
interviews with NewPage Port Hawkesbury staff, contractors, interested
parties and Aboriginals. The audit also assessed the CSA Z809 and
supporting EMS documentation and records at the NewPage office.
The auditors
CSA Z809-2002
Periodic Assessments
Major Non-conformance
Minor Non-conformance
0
3
Opportunities
for Improvement
13
Positive Aspects
7
Major non-conformances
Are pervasive or critical to the
achievement of the SFI
objectives.
Minor non-conformances
The QMI audit team who performed the audit consisted of Herb Bax,
Sylvain Frappier, and Martin Litchfield. The auditors are Professional
Foresters and certified lead auditors.
Key Areas of Non-conformance
Minor Non-conformance
•
4.2 Environmental Policy. The environmental policy is not being
adhered to. (e.g Some of the action items identified in the major nonconformance have not been completed. The Contractor Fuel Tank
Summary that was provided to District Superintendents and Managers
in Dec. 2008. The audit discovered several tanks still not in
compliance. This is spite of the fact that three reminders were sent to
Superintendents and Managers (Dec.08, April and July 09) reminding
them to ensure action items are completed. This is being raised under
policy commitment since it is the responsibility of top management to
ensure action items are completed).
•
7.4 Implementation and Operation – Review the procedures and
requirements for road maintenance to ensure that no ditching is being
performed in the defined buffer zone.
•
7.3.4 Rights and Regulations – Review the process to ensure that all
workers and staff are fully aware of the NewPage lockout policy.
Are isolated incidents that are
non-critical to the
achievement of compliance to
the SFI standard.
All non-conformances require
an action plan within 90 days
of an initial audit and
subsequently 60 days and
must be addressed by the
auditee.
Major non-conformances
must be addressed and
closed immediately or
registration cannot be
achieved/maintained.
Opportunity for
Improvement
Are not non-conformances
but are comments on specific
areas where improvements
can be made.
Positive Aspects
Areas that are deemed to be
of best practices
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Key Opportunities for Improvement
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Consider reviewing the expectation for the housekeeping in the box of pick-up trucks
Consider reviewing with the workers prone to work alone the NewPage Working Alone Policy
Consider updating the WDS 500 documents (road) to include the 30 m no grub zone as an element for
inspection
Continue to increase the number of qualified wood suppliers with training, handbook and on-site visits.
Consider if the Guiding Principles of Wood Procurement are being followed by private wood suppliers.
Garbage at the landing was observed at Ferguson Road, Job # 1661. Used oil cans, grease tubes and a
broom top were discarded at the highway landing.
Consider if the Guiding Principles of Wood Procurement are being followed by private wood suppliers.
Garbage at the landing was observed at Ferguson Road, Job#1661. Used oil cans, grease tubes and a
broom top were discarded at the highway landing.
Consider whether or not the tree planers should be required to wear a high visibility vest during hunting
season.
Consider if the Evaluation of Compliance procedure is up to date. The procedure states that a Green
Audit is to be completed annually.
Consider developing a FAC orientation and awareness training program for new FAC members.
Consider developing a specific work instruction for the pipeline crossing approvals.
Consider ensuring that the fuel truck delivery agency is included in the Emergency Response awareness
and training.
Consider developing a specific analysis and action plan where VOIT performance does not meet target
expectations.
Consider reviewing the program for private wood suppliers to ensure that mill inventories do not
compromise adherence to the principles of sustainable forestry in case of adverse weather conditions.
Example of a poorly maintained truck box
Garbage left on site following a private
land harvest
Example of a well maintained truck box
In appropriate ditching within the 30 meter
no grub zone
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Positive Aspects
• Involvement of the FAC in strategic discussions such as climate change.
• Development and implementation of effective water crossing both within blocks and on access
roads.
• Excellent work in creating the Qualified Wood Supplier/Contractor training database
• Improvement on wood utilization
• Introduction of the relax delimbing
• Woodlands Unit Quarterly Newsletter ‘’Forest News’’
• Initiative to identify medicinal plants on the limit jointly with Un’amaki Institute of Natural
Resources and Cape Breton Highland National Park
QMI auditor discussing environmental
mitigation measures with forwarder operator
A properly installed and effective water
crossing in harvest block
QMI auditor discussing the harvest job with the
contractor
QM-SAI Global forestry specialist group registers/certifies forest companies to ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, CSA Z809 SFM, FSC FM & CoC, SFIS & SFI
CoC and PEFC. The group, led by Guillaume Gignac, Product Manager, Forestry, consists of a highly qualified team of professional foresters, technical
and industry experts. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Company Contact:
Andrea Doucette
NewPage Port Hawkesbury Corp.
Tel: 902 625 6264
Email: [email protected]
This report may only be reproduced by the intended client, with the
express consent of QMI-SAI Global. Information in this issue is of a
general nature with respect to audit findings and is not intended to
be acted upon without appropriate professional advice.
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