November 8, 2018 – The premier of Nova Scotia has called for fishermen to end to their boat blockade in Northumberland Strait near Pictou, site of the proposed drainage pipeline for Northern Pulp’s effluent.
A two-week standoff has seen local fishermen using their boats to prevent access of a survey vessel hired by the mill.
The Canadian Press reports that premier Stephen McNeil says the fishermen should dissipate because the survey research is allowed by law, and any survey results would allow for a public discussion of the environmental ramifications. But beyond that, he says it’s up to Northern Pulp to call the RCMP if they want to end the blockade.
McNeil also says that the January 2020 deadline the province gave Northern Pulp to stop draining its waste in the area will remain in place. The mill is currently using a wastewater facility in Boat Harbour, which dumps into First Nations territory. The proposed pipeline would send the waste out into the strait.
Paper Excellence, parent company of Northern Pulp, has said that the 300 employees working at the mill may lose their jobs if Northern Pulp is prevented from building the pipeline.
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