CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (From the Chillicothe Gazette) - Officials at Glatfelter are preparing for a wood chip recycling project after being granted a temporary permit by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency earlier this month.

The paper mill requested a temporary permit in late 2014 to operate a diesel-powered conveyor system for the chips, which was granted Jan. 15, state records show. Mitzi Anderson, spokeswoman for Glatfelter, said the conveyor system would be used to run a recycling project trial program involving knots, a term for wood chips that are not completely cooked in the pulping process and are screened out.

"We have not started the trial, but plans are in place to start in the near future," Anderson said.

Craig Butler, director of the Ohio EPA, wrote a Jan. 15 letter to Glatfelter granting the temporary permit that allows the paper mill up to 60 days to evaluate the feasibility of the project with certain stipulations. Glatfelter must keep a record of dates the conveyor and engine are operated while also indicating the amount of material processed on the conveyor each day.

Anderson said if the trial is successful, Glatfelter will consider the installation of a permanent conveyor that will likely be electric. No timeline was provided on its plans.

"We work diligently to recover materials used in our manufacturing processes, which helps us minimize the natural resources that are used in the production of our paper. This trial is another example of our efforts to recycle and reuse," she said.