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Northern Pulp shut down to address effluent leak

Operations have been temporarily halted at Northern Pulp Nova Scotia after an effluent leak was discovered near the mill site in Abercrombie, N.S. Media reports say the leak was detected around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10. The mill was shut down…

Operations have been temporarily halted at Northern Pulp Nova Scotia after an effluent leak was discovered near the mill site in Abercrombie, N.S. Media reports say the leak was detected around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10. The mill was shut down while the company evaluates the situation.

CBC News reports that the pipe in which the lead was found carries 90 million litres/day of pulp mill waste from the mill site at Abercrombie Point, under the East River in Pictou Harbour to a treatment facility at Pictou Landing.

“Our primary concern is the safety of the public, mill employees and protection of the environment,” says a statement from Northern Pulp. “At this time, all resources are focused on ensuring that the shutdown of the mill and containment of any effluent is carried out in a safe and timely manner.”

According to CBC News, Nova Scotia Environment Minister Randy Delorey said on June 10 that early reports suggest there is no serious environmental damage, and the amount of leaked material is still being investigated.

The Northern Pulp mill was purchased by Paper Excellence in 2011. It has a capacity of 280,000 tonnes/year of NBSK.