JAY – The Planning Board recognized Jay’s environmental code enforcement officer and International Paper’s environmental manager for continued efforts to work together to better the environment.

The board commended Jay code officer Shiloh Ring and IP manager Tom Saviello for continuing a “healthy working relationship” between the mill and the town on environmental issues Thursday, according to a press release.

Jay voters adopted an environmental control and improvement ordinance in 1987.

The Planning Board oversees compliance with the ordinance, which includes air and water quality permits for two paper mills, a natural-gas-fired power plant and a chemical plant.

Prior to the ordinance’s adoption, the mill and the town disputed over ways to resolve environmental issues, the release stated.

But over the last decade, relations with the town’s largest employer and the town have “improved dramatically and there has been enormous progress in improving the quality of the environment affected by the mill,” the release stated.

Ring, a code enforcer with Jay for seven years, said she and Saviello have worked together to improve the relationship between the town and the mill to protect the environment.

Ring worked closely with Saviello when the mill exceeded permit limitations in December 2003, to find a solution to a problem that existed at the company’s wastewater treatment plant and resolve operational activities that caused problems with the system to occur.

At the time, the mill had violated terms of the town’s permit on daily limits related to biological oxygen demand, but not the state’s permit, which has seasonal limits.

The mill treats its wastewater before it is discharged into the Androscoggin River.

Last year, a combination of mill problems, a lot of rain and snow, and excess flow at the treatment plant caused wastewater to flush through the treatment plant more quickly than usual, and it was not treated as thoroughly as it should have been before it was discharged into the river, Ring said at the time.

The situation wasn’t expected to have an effect because of the greater dilution rate from the rain and snow, Ring had said.

International Paper representatives had brought a plan forward to shut down the mill so that it wouldn’t operate in noncompliance, but town officials chose to use discretionary enforcement and work with the company to try and resolve the problems to assure that compliance was achieved in the future, Ring said.

Normally, Ring had said, the mill works well below permit restrictions.

Both Ring and Saviello said they were honored to be recognized by the Planning Board.

Ring also commended board members for their efforts.

Among the improvements, the board noted in its recognition, were implementation of a wastewater discharge program that is years ahead of state standards and a landfill management system.