The Northern Pulp Mill in Pictou County is about to be torn down after a long six years.
The province says the Ministerial Order was issued Thursday, from Environment Minister Tim Halman to Northern Timber Nova Scotia Corporation. Work is expected to happen in September which will involve removing any hazardous material from the site.
The move follows years of uncertainty over what may happen with the site and a reclamation process that started after the Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility closed in 2020.
It had been operating for more than 50 years.
Former Liberal Premier Stephen McNeil shut it down due to the Boat Harbour Act that says the area could no longer be used for wastewater treatment.
The Abercrombie site went into creditor protection, and the company launched a $450 million lawsuit against the province, until a settlement was reached in 2024. It included up to $15 million for site cleanup—but only after other debts are paid through the ongoing insolvency process in B.C.
The company had been looking into building a new mill in Queens County but those planned failed.
Acording to the province, the more than $100 million from the sale paid for pensions owed, put $15 million toward closing the site, and covered what was owed on provincial loans.
In a statement, Premier Tim Houston says this case is one of the “largest, most complex, highly sensitive and legal and economic files this province has faced.”
In accordance with the amended order, the company must continue to monitor surface and ground water and collect surface water for testing and dispose of leachate at an approved facility.
Next steps for the site will be determined as the company continues to go through the creditor process.
-with files from Evan Taylor
