Minister Issues Decision on Northern Pulp's Appeal

Environment Minister Randy Delorey has issued a decision on Northern Pulp's appeal of its industrial approval.

The decision includes eight changes to the terms and conditions of the approval. Seven changes are administrative and maintain the department's environmental performance objectives for the mill. Six of the administrative changes are effective immediately.

An eighth item related to reductions in water use is being returned to the department for further assessment to ensure the targets are technically feasible and will achieve the desired environmental outcomes. Revised terms and conditions resulting from this assessment will be submitted to the minister for consideration and approval.

Limits on air emissions remain the same. This includes significant reductions in the particulate emissions limit for the recovery boiler, which is almost 80 per cent lower than the previous approval.

"This has been a highly complex review," said Mr. Delorey. "There was one aspect of the appeal that I felt required further analysis by technical staff. By continuing to focus on evidence-based decision-making, this demonstrates that the appeal process works and supports what we all want - a cleaner operating mill, and an environmentally healthy and prosperous Pictou County."

Among the administrative changes included in the decision are:

• removing conditions that relate to a new effluent treatment facility that would have its own industrial approval
• removing a condition that called for a plan to achieve further reductions in wastewater quality targets during the next approval period
• removing a condition that related to the sampling of the chemical phenanthrene in ground water monitoring, which is no longer required
• removing a condition that related to providing reports to Pictou Landing First Nations
• revising conditions to improve clarity
• revising a condition to correctly identify the site locations of surface water monitoring stations

A copy of the decision is available at novascotia.ca/nse/issues/northern-pulp.asp .

The minister's decision may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia within 30 days.