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Report suggests Northern Pulp should pause reopening process to rebuild trust

An environmental liaison committee examining Northern Pulp’s closure has released a report with recommendations about what the mill should do to assuage the public about reopening.

CBC News obtained a copy of the full document, which suggests Northern Pulp abandon its current environmental assessment process in favour of rebuilding trust with people in the community.

The committee also suggests the Nova Scotia–based pulp mill and it parent company Paper Excellence withdraw their request for a Supreme Court review of the province’s December 2019 decision to scrap their original proposal for a new effluent treatment plant. The mill closed in January 2020.

The committee, which is comprised of independent parties as well as former employees, says the company needs to “commit to being good corporate citizens,” address questions from the public, implement the forest management recommendations from the Lahey report, ensure environmental standards are met to the highest degree, and engage with First Nations and community before proceeding with a new plan.

Read the CBC’s full story here and access the environmental liaison committee’s report here.