JAY – No one was injured when a recovery boiler used in the pulp process was damaged early Wednesday at International Paper. Employees are investigating what caused the damage and the extent of it.

“We had a tank associated with our boilers damaged,” said IP Communications Manager Fiona McCaul. “Nobody was hurt because we implemented all of the safety procedures. We’re still in the process of repairing it.”

It is unknown at this time, McCaul said, how long the recovery boiler will be down. She also didn’t know the cost to repair the damage.

All of the company’s paper-making operations continued as scheduled. The No. 4 paper machine, which makes coated paper, is down this week for scheduled maintenance and will be back on line Monday as predicted.

IP has two recovery boilers. The one that was damaged evaporates moisture from solids produced by the pulp process to make steam power.

According to a 1997 appraisal report compiled by ValPoint Inc. for the town, it estimated the replacement cost of a recovery boiler would be $80 million.

dperry@sunjournal.com