Northern Pulp stirs it up

To the editor,

In our mailbox last week was a public relations flyer from Northern Pulp.

I was very disappointed and disgusted with its misleading content. For example “Effluent has been flowing into the Northumberland Strait for over 50 years with no impact on fishing.” Boat Harbour, where the effluent has been flowing for the last 50 years, is completely void of fish and sea vegetation as a result of that effluent and will now cost the taxpayers of Nova Scotia hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up. ‘No impact on fishing’ eh? I’m sure that the fishermen around Pictou Landing have a different view.

Secondly, they used a misleading quote by some unnamed so called “UPEI expert” saying “the effluent shouldn’t affect the fishery”. Not some real facts from their own studies, maybe because their studies show the negative results. This effluent can’t be cleaned up enough to be reused in the mill because it contains contaminants including heavy metals. But warm fresh water and various other contaminants “shouldn’t affect the fishery”? Really. There are studies that show this is a false statement. See the website www. friendsofthenorthumberlandstrait.ca

And then the real disappointing statement “no pipe means no mill”. One of their historical heavy-handed tactics. No indication of a willingness to negotiate. It’s my way or the highway. That really shows an interest in discussing the results with those most seriously affected ... the local fishermen.

They include a statement that “Northern Pulp’s Kraft Pulp represented 37% of the value of the exports from Nova Scotia to China in 2016.”

Their exports of approximately $500 million, are only 1/3 of the $1.5 billion exported by the fishing industry to the world not just to China. This pipe has the potential to ruin the image of the Province around the world, as well as a much larger export industry, with greater significant local employment and benefits.

The side effects on other businesses such as the tourism industry and at least two local provincial parks are also part of the equation.

There is definitely a need for more dialogue on this subject and a need to end the misleading statements and divisive heavy handed words used by Northern Pulp.

Government intervention in the form of a class 2 environmental evaluation is the least we should expect from the public purse. If the pipe won’t cause a problem then Northern Pulp should be willing to convince their opponents by agreeing to the more elaborate class 2 study. If that study means a delay in the commencement of the conversion to a significant improvement in the effluent from the mill, so be it.

Readers can help this happen by following up with a letter to the Minister.

Check out https://www.friendsofthenorthumberlandstrait.ca/send-aletter-in-one-minute

The results of that study should be sufficient to reduce the tension between “the mill” and “the fishermen” and all the local residents and businesses.

Dick Webster

Little Harbour, Nova Scotia