Northern Pulp Environmental Assessment Process Begins

The proposed Northern Pulp mill revitalization and new pulp effluent treatment plant project was registered for a Class II environmental assessment today, December 7.

The company’s registration document is available at: https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/ea/ .

The Department is now preparing draft terms of reference to guide the preparation of a Class II environmental assessment report by Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corporation.

The terms of reference will be made public on December 21, and a 30-day public comment period will begin that day. The Environment Act’s environmental assessment regulations state December 23 to January 2 count as one day, so comments will be accepted until January 31, 2022. The Province will also consult directly with the Mi’kmaq.

Quick Facts:

• on July 15, the Province announced that Northern Pulp’s mill revitalization and effluent treatment plant project must undergo a Class II environmental assessment
• the company’s new proposal involves changes to the pulp mill itself, as well as the design and construction of a new effluent treatment plant
• a Class II environmental assessment typically takes 275 calendar days to complete, not including the time it takes the company to prepare an environmental assessment report; the company has up to two years, outside of the review time, to prepare its environmental assessment report
• in a Class II process, an environmental assessment panel is appointed to review the project and provide a report and recommendation to the minister
• Northern Pulp formally withdrew its previous replacement effluent treatment project from the environmental assessment process on May 5, 2021