Decision Friday on N.S. mill’s contentious plan to pump wastewater into Strait
The paper mill proposes to dump more than 62 million litres per day of treated waste into rich fishing grounds
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s environment minister says she will release her decision on the environmental assessment of Northern Pulp’s proposed effluent treatment facility tomorrow.
The decision follows a 30-day public comment period for the controversial project that includes a new, 15.5-kilometre-long pipeline that will carry millions of litres of treated wastewater to the Northumberland Strait.
Margaret Miller says the decision on the company’s proposal is one of the biggest she’s had to make during her time in government.
But Miller says she’s satisfied the assessment process laid out under her department’s rules has enabled her to consider all points of view.
The paper mill has become a flashpoint – it proposes to dump more than 62 million litres per day of treated waste into rich fishing grounds.
The plan has pitted forest industry workers against fishermen, environmentalists and even the P.E.I. government.
Halifax-born movie star Ellen Page has attempted to rally her 1.5 million Twitter followers against it.
The minister says she has reviewed more than 1,700 pages of environmental assessment documents submitted by the mill as well as 918 letters submitted online by the public.
Premier Stephen McNeil has said he has no intention of changing a legislated deadline to close the current facility in Boat Harbour by Jan. 31, 2020.
