Northern Pulp mill in Abercrombie Point, Nova Scotia, restarted and expected to be fully operational by night of June 24 at latest; company has repaired and tested broken effluent pipe that led to mill closure on June 10

Diane Keaton

LOS ANGELES , June 24, 2014 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corp. in Abercrombie Point, Nova Scotia, began starting up Monday and is expected to be fully operational by tonight at the latest, CBC News reported June 24.

The mill has been down since June 10 on orders of Environment Canada after the discovery of a leak caused by a broken pipe, which caused effluent to be dumped into area waters.

Northern Pulp spokesperson David MacKenzie said the pipe has been repaired and tested and is back in service now, with a continuous flow flowing through it.

It was hoped that the mill could produce its first bale of pulp by 9 p.m. Monday night. This did not happen, but mill managers said it could take up to 48 hours for a mill of this size to reach full operation after a complete shutdown.

As previously reported, the effluent leak led to protests by Pictou Landing First Nation. Part of the agreement hammered out with First Nation and the Nova Scotia government is the eventual closure of the mill’s waste treatment plant in Boat Harbour. CBC News reported this would be several years away.

First Nation said relocating the facility could cost C$100 million, CBC News reported on June 16.

The pipe leaked six years ago, as well, causing a lengthy shut of the mill, CBC News reported.

The primary source of this article is CBC News, Toronto, Ontario, on June 16, 2014, and June 24, 2014. Click here and here to view full version of primary source's original articles.

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