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Irving Pulp & Paper seeks community feedback for new environmental treatment facility

Irving Pulp & Paper plans on investing over $150 million to build a new Environmental Treatment Facility (ETF) at its current pulp mill site in West Saint John. The company is proposing to use the best available technology for the ETF.

Irving Pulp & Paper recently filed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with the provincial Department of Environment and Local Government, focussing on this project.

“The construction of this new on-site facility using world-class technology will help us continue to achieve our long-term environmental objectives by substantially improving water quality while reducing water consumption by up to 50 percent,” said Mark Mosher, vice-president of pulp and paper. “We have been operating at the west side location since 1946, so we value the feedback of our neighbours in the community and we look forward to hearing from them through this process.”

The company recently sought community feedback, inviting questions and comments about the proposal. It hosted an open house for nearby residents on March 23.

According to the company, this project will modernize the current water treatment being done in the mill to remove, re-use and recycle materials created during the pulping process which need to be treated in an environmentally friendly manner. It will also help Irving Pulp & Paper to comply with a new enforcement approach to federal regulations and reduce the water currently being sourced from Spruce Lake by up to 50 percent.

The Environmental Treatment Facility (ETF) will consist of: 

• An elevated walkway 
• A building that will house operator stations, auxiliary equipment, pumps, blowers, electrical equipment, lab space, offices, and personnel space.
• Multiple tanks which include a clarifier tank; a diversion tank; two moving bed biofilm reactor tanks; and a primary clarifier tank.