The New-Indy Catawba mill site originally opened in 1959 and became a New-Indy subsidiary in 2019. It is a world-class paper manufacturing mill located on the Catawba River that makes lightweight linerboard that is important for packaging.

The New-Indy Catawba Innovative Byproduct Reuse Pilot Program (IBRPP) will re-route solid waste from the wastewater treatment system to an on-site sludge pond.

New-Indy Catawba recently received approval from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for a solid waste disposal program that will reduce stress on the mill’s wastewater treatment system and provide environmental benefits. In the current system, solid waste byproduct from the papermaking process flows through a clarifier and into a basin where it thickens and is removed for disposal. Under the recently approved Innovative Byproduct Reuse Pilot Program, solid waste will be sent to a sludge pond where it will settle. The program also will put a cap on the legacy sludges produced by the mill’s previous owners.

The new solid waste plan:

• Immediately reduces the amount of solids being sent to the wastewater system.
• Kickstarts the closure of No. 1 Sludge Pond, which contains legacy sludges produced by the mill’s previous owners.
• Uses solid waste to cap legacy sludge in a beneficial manner.
• Reduces the use of natural resources. 
• Reduces greenhouse gas and other air-pollutant emissions from sludge-management operations.
• Reduces the amount of water withdrawn from the Catawba River and the amount of wastewater discharged into the wastewater system.

The IBRPP is one of the many improvements the mill has implemented since 2021. Visit www.newindycatawba.com to learn more.

New-Indy Catawba recently converted a mill parking lot into an emergency response helipad.

New-Indy Catawba recently converted an unused parking lot into a helicopter landing zone. The “grand opening” of the landing zone was a joint exercise of the Lesslie Fire Department and MedCenter Air. New-Indy is proud to provide this new emergency resource to the community.

Hydrogen sulfide readings at New-Indy Catawba and in the surrounding community have been zero or negligible for more than two years.

The 24-hour averages for hydrogen sulfide recorded in parts per billion (ppb) in March were minimal – more than 25 times below the 14-day exposure limit (70 ppb) set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

New-Indy Catawba has been monitoring hydrogen sulfide at the mill and in the community since May 2021. Daily reports are generated by monitors and are posted on www.newindycatawba.com. 

NEW-INDY NUGGET