NSNDP

February 7th, 2019

Northern Pulp Environmental Assessment finally moves forward

HALIFAX -- With less than a year before the Boat Harbour effluent facility has to close, the Liberal government has finally begun the Environmental Assessment for Northern Pulp’s proposed effluent treatment plant.

“Premier McNeil has abandoned the responsibility for this proposal, leaving it entirely to Northern Pulp. The result is that we are only seeing an Environmental Assessment now, less than a year away from when the Boat Harbour facility is closing,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “The Boat Harbour Act passed four years ago and the Premier should have made sure long ago that we were moving forward with a plan to replace it.”

A Class I assessment gives the public 30 days to respond in writing to the proposal. The Environmental Assessment filed by Northern Pulp contains more than 1700 pages detailing their plan.

“This limited level of assessment doesn’t give the public enough space to have their say,” said NDP Environment spokesperson Lenore Zann. “An issue of this magnitude needs to have an in-depth review and that’s why this should go through a federal assessment.”

The Boat Harbour Act requires that the current effluent plant be shut down by January 31, 2020.

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