One of the world’s cleanest, and most environmentally and socially advanced mills

Northern Pulp’s nursery facility in Debert has been the largest producing nursery in Nova Scotia for many years. These nurseries supply tree seedlings for use only in Nova Scotia. We are looking at increases in seedling production in the future. This will be determined through further engagement with the forestry sector and woodlot owners. In addition to planting seedlings, we are very fortunate in Nova Scotia as our forests naturally regenerate at very high rate.

There are significant differences in the new proposal compared to previous operations which are understood to support the release of effluent adjacent to the mill site. These differences are related to the proposed transformation using of significantly less water than previous operations, implementing tertiary treatment, and an increased harbour water flow. 

When previously operating, the Mill used approximately 70,000 – 85,000 m3 of water from Middle River per day. Following the kraft pulping process, the wastewater was released to Boat Harbour then into the Northumberland Strait, bypassing Pictou Harbour. This resulted in Pictou Harbour having lower water flow going into Northumberland Strait than it does today. Detailed marine study confirmed that under previous operating conditions Pictou Harbour would not be suitable for effluent release.

The proposed transformation will see the Mill intake approximately 45,000 m3 of water from Middle River per day, a 45% decrease in water use compared to previous operations. Following tertiary treatment, the treated wastewater will be released adjacent to Mill site, instead of bypassing Pictou Harbour, as was the case with previous operations.

Preliminary understanding is that the decrease in water use, the enhanced treatment of wastewater, and an increased water flow from Pictou Harbour through to Northumberland Strait, will support the proposed concept.

Detailed marine studies and modeling will be conducted to determine the environmental capacity and suitability of the Pictou Harbour, and inform the effluent release point.

Northern Pulp and Nova Scotia Lands have agreed that Nova Scotia Lands will develop, manage, and oversee a single project plan to remove all sludge material from the Boat Harbour Effluent Treatment Facility (BH-ETF) aeration stabilization basins (ASB). The goal of the cleanup is to return Boat Harbour to its original state as a tidal estuary.

 The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is undertaking a technical review of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and associated EIS Summary for the proposed Boat Harbour Remediation Project. Nova Scotia Lands cannot begin the remediation of Boat Harbour until it receives approval from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

 Learn more about the Boat Harbour Remediation Project at https://novascotia.ca/boatharbour/.

Northern Pulp and Nova Scotia Lands have agreed that Nova Scotia Lands will develop, manage, and oversee a single project plan to remove all sludge material from the Boat Harbour Effluent Treatment Facility (BH-ETF) aeration stabilization basins (ASB).

Northern Pulp is responsible for the financial cost of removing the material accumulated in the ASB since the mill assumed responsibility for the BH-ETF in 1995. Once the project plan is costed, finalized, and approved, Northern Pulp and Nova Scotia Lands will establish an agreement including financial terms and obligations.

Northern Pulp is currently protected under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) so it can restructure its business and financial affairs in hopes of restarting a transformed operation. The Province of Nova Scotia is a secured creditor in this process.

Learn more about the Boat Harbour Remediation Project at https://novascotia.ca/boatharbour/.

As part of our proposed transformation, we are committed to implementing best available technology for a bleached kraft pulp mill to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. The previous effluent treatment facility proposals were focused only on replacing Boat Harbour to meet the expedited closure timeline. As a result of community input over the past few years, it is clear to Paper Excellence that tomorrow's mill operations and processes—from community engagement and transparency to forestry practices and addressing odour, air, and water emissions—must be better than the Mill of yesterday. Northern Pulp is proposing to transform the operation of the pulp mill into a best-in-class operation and one of the world's cleanest, most environmentally focused, and community-based mills.

The treatment system for runoff at Canso Chemicals is a small system that does not have the capacity to treat the runoff from the Northern Pulp site.

A full and complete environmental review of Pictou Harbour will be done during the marine studies conducted during the environmental assessment. This will establish the baselines as they currently exist and allow for complete assessments as time moves forward.

There are three municipal waste inputs to Pictou Harbour as per previous modelling with no negative interaction between human waste and treated effluent being anticipated.

Thank you for your question. We are proposing to transform the Mill into a best-in-class operation and one of the world's cleanest, most environmentally focused, and community-based mills. Northern Pulp has been a significant economic contributor throughout Nova Scotia and many parts of Atlantic Canada with more than 1,375 companies supporting Mill operations, including forestry, trucking, and shipping, and has contributed more than $135 million annually in GDP lift. We are committed to doing things differently and look forward to being an economic driver in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Canada with a transformed Mill.

The wastewater flows to our treatment center will be held to a constant range. Flow outside the range will be diverted to the spill basin and then brought back into the treatment system after the rainfalls have stopped. There will be no flow of raw wastewater to the receiving water at any time.

The new Northern Pulp will not process hemp as it is not an economically viable business model for a facility of our size. The global hemp market is approximately 120,000 tonnes per year with few facilities having capacity over 5,000 tonnes per year. The hemp requirements for a facility of our size would be approximately 400,000 tonnes per year. 

With an approximate yield of between 1 and 7 tonne per acre, approximately 60,000 and up to 400,000 acres of forest would need to be replaced with hemp fields. Additionally, all the hemp would have to be harvested in August of each year and stored.

A wastewater treatment system would still be required for processing hemp. The small hemp operations generally export their waste to an offsite treatment center.