Mill embarks on effluent-treatment plan
Northern Pulp moves forward with plans to replace Boat Harbour facility
While the province moves forward with their promise to clean up Boat Harbour and to shut down the controversial Boat Harbour treatment facility by January 2020, Northern Pulp is taking steps to replace it.
The company cost shared with the province to hire a consultant, KSH Solutions, to come up with a replacement facility.
KSH Solutions was tasked with creating a comprehensive study that would include all civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation required for construction of a new effluent facility located within Northern Pulp’s existing mill site.
Kathy Cloutier, communications director for Northern Pulp said the new system would be different from the old although using a similar method of having micro-organisms break down the effluent.
“The current system is an ASB system. ASB is an aerated stabilization basin process which has lagoons while AST (activated sludge treatment) process involves conversion of soluble organic matter into solid biomass, separated from the liquid stream,” she said. “The AST process involves two stages — an aeration stage and a clarification and recycle stage. Both systems use micro-organisms in a similar fashion.”
Once treated, effluent would be discharged into the Northumberland Strait.
The new system — like the current system — will not be in an enclosed building, Cloutier said.
Construction needs to be completed by January 2020 when the Boat Harbour facility closes, but no exact date has been set for starting the project.
“Construction would begin upon registration and approval of the project by Nova Scotia Environment,” Cloutier said.
There are still many aspects of the project that have to be determined including who pays for it and owns it once it is complete.
The current Boat Harbour treatment facility was built by the province to woo business to the area in the 1960s. The government at the time committed that if the pulp mill would move to Pictou County, the government itself would provide the water to the business and the treatment of waste effluent.
The land the treatment facility currently sits on is still owned by the province, but has been leased since 1995 by the pulp mill, which pays for the operation of the facility and has made numerous upgrades there.
Cloutier said they are unsure of an exact cost to build the facility yet.
“Preliminary engineering is now under review therefore it is premature to attach a cost to the project,” she said.
As part of the approval process with Nova Scotia Environment, the public will have 30 days to comment on whether they think the project should be approved and to voice any concerns they may have.