Northern Pulp Environmental Assessment Process Begins

**** CNS Media Release Northern Pulp Environmental Assessment Process Begins --------------------------------------------------------------- The proposed Northern Pulp mill revitalization and new pulp effluent treatment plant project was registered for a Class II environmental assessment today, December 7. The company's registration document is available at: https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/ea/ . The Department is now preparing draft terms of reference to guide the preparation of a Class II environmental assessment report by Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corporation. The terms of reference will be made public on December 21, and a 30-day public comment period will begin that day. The Environment Act's environmental assessment regulations state December 23 to January 2 count as one day, so comments will be accepted until January 31, 2022. The Province will also consult directly with the Mi'kmaq. Quick Facts: -- on July 15, the Province announced that Northern Pulp's mill revitalization and effluent treatment plant project must undergo a Class II environmental assessment -- the company's new proposal involves changes to the pulp mill itself, as well as the design and construction of a new effluent treatment plant -- a Class II environmental assessment typically takes 275 calendar days to complete, not including the time it takes the company to prepare an environmental assessment report; the company has up to two years, outside of the review time, to prepare its environmental assessment report -- in a Class II process, an environmental assessment panel is appointed to review the project and provide a report and recommendation to the minister -- Northern Pulp formally withdrew its previous replacement effluent treatment project from the environmental assessment process on May 5, 2021