Expera Specialty Solutions has received permission from the City of Rhinelander to extend one of three stacks at its paper facility on the city's west side.
The DNR told the company the current stack was not tall enough to reduce sulpher dioxide emissions to acceptable levels. The current stack height on what is described as the brown stack, or the northern most of three stacks, is 209 feet. Expera's proposal would extend the stack to 296 feet.
Expera's Tom Emond told the Planning Commission there is a narrow window of acceptable minimum height and maximum height allowed by state and federal regulators, as the DNR and EPA said the stack had to be at least 296 feet. Emond said the 300 foot level was as tall as the stack could get per Federal Aviation Administration rules.
The Planning Commission approved the increase in stack height. Later, the full city council did the same with little discussion.
The council also approved a $27,000 proposal from Miller and Associates for two new pavilions at Pioneer Park. Rather than repair the current structures which are in bad shape, they will be replaced with prefabricated structures.
