Permanent injunction stops Nova Scotia fishermen’s waste pipe blockade
The injunction follows a conflict over Northern Pulp's proposal to dump 62 million litres per day of treated waste into the fishing grounds
HALIFAX – A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge has granted a permanent injunction to stop fishermen from blocking survey vessels from carrying out survey work for a contentious treated waste pipeline into the Northumberland Strait.
The Northern Pulp mill applied for the injunction today after it was granted a temporary injunction in December.
It was approved by Justice Josh Arnold.
Both sides announced Monday they had reached a deal to abide by the permanent injunction once it was granted.
The injunction prohibits interference in the waters of Pictou Harbour, Caribou Channel and the Northumberland Strait.
The legal move comes amid a conflict over Northern Pulp’s proposal to dump 62 million litres per day of treated waste into the rich fishing grounds.
The company has said the effluent will meet federal regulations for emissions, but opponents say there’s a lack of firm scientific evidence of how the waste will affect the long-term health of the lucrative lobster and crab fisheries.
Under legislation passed in 2015, the provincial government has committed to closing the mill’s Boat Harbour treatment facility by Jan. 31, 2020. The Pictou Landing First Nation plans to mark the beginning of an official one-year countdown on Thursday.
The company has said the treated effluent it plans to pump into the Strait will meet federal regulations for emissions, but opponents say there’s a lack of scientific evidence regarding how the waste will affect the long-term health of the lucrative lobster and crab fisheries.
The company is expected to submit an environmental approval application to the provincial Environment Department later this week.
