Northern Pulp seeking defined limits in EA Terms of Reference for Mill transformation and for the process to be led by an independent expert panel

Northern Pulp has reviewed the draft Terms of Reference and is requesting Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change (NSECC) include the air and wastewater regulations the Company must adhere to in the Final Terms of Reference it issues for the Mill Transformation Environmental Assessment.

Specifically, Canada’s draft national standards for treated Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations (PPER) and existing Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) should be used as the guiding standards to assess the New Northern Pulp Plan.

Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change recently released Draft Terms of Reference for the proposed transformation of Northern Pulp. The Terms of Reference set out the rules and expectations of the Company to complete their Environmental Assessment (EA) Report as part of the stringent Nova Scotia Class II EA.

“There are a few key items we believe should be changed before the Terms of Reference are finalized, specifically having the air and wastewater regulations defined and included,” said Graham Kissack, VP EH&S and Corporate Communications, Paper Excellence Canada. “We are prepared to put the proposed mill transformation against the most stringent regulations in Canada, but we need to know what those regulations are from the outset of the Environmental Assessment process.”

The Draft Terms of Reference do not provide the limits Northern Pulp needs to meet regarding air emission and treated effluent. In absence of specific Nova Scotia standards, Northern Pulp is calling on NSECC to designate existing standards as a minimum in the final Terms of Reference.

“The inclusion of Canada’s Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations (PPER) and a specific province’s air emission regulations will provide clarity to two important areas of the Terms of Reference,” said Kissack.

Northern Pulp is also proposing that the Environmental Assessment process be led by an independent administrator or panel with expertise in kraft pulp production and environmental management. Putting a neutral third-party panel or administrator in place from the outset to manage the process, review the EA submission, and make a recommendation to the Minister, would provide more confidence in the process.

“Nova Scotia residents and businesses need to have confidence in the EA process to trust the final decision. An independent expert administrator or panel will provide an increased level of confidence,” said Kissack.

Northern Pulp is proposing to transform Northern Pulp into a best-in-class operation and one of the world's cleanest, most environmentally focused, and community-based mills. The transformation will result in:

No odor in local communities under normal operations
A significant reduction in wastewater environmental components
Fewer visible plumes from the mill
A reduction in Greenhouse gas emissions
An online environmental dashboard to communicate mill environmental performance
A significant reduction in water usage
An update mill appearance

The continued operation of Northern Pulp will reinstate well-paying rural jobs and support the local and provincial forestry sector. An operating Northern Pulp will provide a market for pulp grade wood and wood chips to support the full implementation of sustainable, ecological forestry practices in Nova Scotia as envisioned in the Lahey Report.

The more than $350 million investment in the Mill Transformation is expected to provide 600 construction jobs for two years. Significant longer-term benefits to the Province of Nova Scotia will include 330 direct and 2,679 indirect jobs, contribute $128 million in employment income, support 1,379 supplier companies including 943 in Nova Scotia, and generate $279 million in annual spending, most within Nova Scotia.

The Draft Terms of Reference can be viewed at https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/ea/mill-transformation-and-effluent-treatment-facility/ and are open for public comment until January 31st, 2022. Comments specific to the Draft Terms of Reference will be reviewed by Nova Scotia Environment to inform the finalization of the Terms of Reference.

There are several ways the public can submit your comments to Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change.

Friends of a New Northern Pulp, a community group that supports the establishment of a clean, modernized Northern Pulp, has set up a webpage with example letters that can be used to inform public submissions.

Visit the webpage here: https://friendsofnewnp.ca/class-2-environmental-assessment-process/.

Comments can be emailed to EA@gov.ns.ca, submitted online www.novascotia.ca/nse/ea/comments.asp, or mailed to:

Environmental Assessment Branch

Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change

P.O. Box 442

Halifax, NS, B3J 2P8