Boise’s Wallula operations achieve ISO 14001 certification

Boise Cascade has announced that its pulp and paper mill in Wallula, Washington, USA, has been certified as meeting ISO 14001 environmental standards. Established by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 14001 is recognized as the leading standard for environmental management systems (EMS). Certification indicates that Wallula’s environmental management systems comply with ISO 14001 standards and demonstrates the company’s commitment to high standards of environmental stewardship and to continuously improving its environmental activities.

‘Achieving ISO 14001 certification is a good indicator of the environmental direction Boise is taking,’ said Ray Lam, environmental manager at Wallula. ‘We plan to minimize our environmental footprint and, in doing so, minimize our environmental risk and costs as well.’ Wallula’s EMS establishes how to set clear environmental objectives, document best practices, and review them to ensure continuous improvement.

Support from Boise corporate environmental and legal personnel, along with good communication among company facilities, were important factors in Wallula’s success. ‘Our strong corporate audit program and learning from the experience of Boise’s ISO 14001-certified paper mill in Jackson, Alabama, really helped,’ Lam said.

ISO 14001 certification formalizes Wallula’s policy that environmental compliance is a minimum expectation, not a goal. The mill has a long-standing record of reducing its environmental footprint by reusing urban wood and recycling scrap metal, used oil, paper, and toner. ISO 14001 certification recognizes the mill’s efforts and demonstrates its environmental commitment to employees, customers and vendors.

‘I am proud of the work of the employees at the Wallula mill who make this certification possible,’ said Miles Hewitt, senior vice president and general manager, Boise Paper. ‘Achieving ISO 14001 certification at Wallula clearly demonstrates the mill’s commitment to environmental excellence.’