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Hundreds of boats and people from the three Maritime Provinces gathered in Pictou, Nova Scotia, to protest Northern Pulp's plan to install an effluent line in the Northumberland Strait .
Harbor, which the government has promised to close by 2020.
The replacement would release about 70 million liters of treated effluent per day through an underwater pipe directly into the Strait from Northumberland to several kilometers from the factory.
Wastewater from pulp mills – from several mill owners – was conducted under the East River in Boat Harbor Lagoon. From there, it is aerated in settling ponds before being released about a week later into the Northumberland Strait.
One of the organizers of today 's rally says that it is moving to see everything after months of planning. She says, "Pictou County's little dirty secret will come out." Jill Graham-Scanlan, President of the Friends of the Northumberland Strait, was told that […]
In the morning information from the CBC that even though the effluent is treated, it is still industrial waste.
"It will contain all kinds of toxins – metals and other noxious substances that we do not want to dump in the clean, crystal clear waters of our Northumberland Strait and in rich fishing areas". she said. We are the voice of this water "
Chief Andrea Paul of Pictou Landing First Nation said that it is in everyone 's interest to keep the water clean.
"We are the voice of this water, we are the voice of all that lives in this water," she said.
The plan for a new pipe encountered a problem this week when recent sonar imaging showed that the proposed pipe layout and its discharge position were to change due to a sinking, of an ice scour, a pillar
Several boats flying the flag of the Grand Council of the Mi Nation kmaq are preparing Friday to gather in the waters off Pictou. (Nic Meloney / CBC)
The company is looking for a modification to the proposed road, and not to a new road, said Kathy Cloutier, Northern Pulp spokeswoman , in an email
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The factory directly employs 330 people and supports some 1,500 other jobs in the forestry sector
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Wes Surrett, Executive Director of Pictou Lodge Beach Resort, said the draft effluent disposal plan may discourage tourists
"When you sell tourism, you sell a brand and when you sell Nova Scotia to the world, we sell it under the name of "Canada's Ocean Playground" and here in the Northumberland Strait we sell our beautiful sandy beaches, warm waters and fresh seafood, " he declared.] Information Morning .
"It's our believer If the proposed plan puts all of this in peril and that once you tarnish this mark, we are very concerned about what this might entail for potential tourism.
The proposed Northern Pulp road for the effluent pipe was badumed (Andrew Vaughan / Canadian Press)
Prime Minister Stephen McNeil told reporters outside of Province House Thursday that the government must strike a balance between what is good for the economy and economic development. What is good for the environment?
"There are some who are still opposed … those who would prefer that there is no development and others who believe that there should be a development without rules, "said McNeil.
"Our job is always to find a balance to ensure we protect the environment for future generations while providing economic opportunities for those currently working in Nova Scotia's economy.
He said that the province's contribution to the new treatment facility has not been finalized yet.
A More Stringent Environmental Assessment
Graham-Scanlan said that she did not agree with the government's decision to "speed up" the environmental badessment process of the province by requiring only a Clbad I badessment for the effluent pipe replacement project, which it says is not rigorous enough.
"So, the public only has a period of 30 days to see the plan.At that time, the Minister of the Environment only has 20 days to consider all public concerns, consider Northern Pulp's proposal and at the end of those 20 days the Minister of the Environment makes his decision.] People prepare to walk to the Pictou waterfront Friday for protesting Northern Pulp's plan to pump effluent into the Northumberland Strait (Steve Lawrence / CBC)
Graham-Scanlan says it's asking the federal government to take over the process Environmental Assessment through the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
"We believe this process will be much more rigorous and will pay due attention to this project" , she said
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