Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Officials with the Nova Scotia government and Pictou Landing First Nation are in talks about an alternative site to store contaminated sludge removed from Boat Harbour as part of the cleanup process of the former tidal estuary that for decades was used as the treatment site for a nearby pulp mill.
For now, however, the minister responsible is providing few details about the location in question.
“We’re currently doing the technical assessments to determine the viability of that site,” Public Works Minister Fred Tilley told reporters following a cabinet meeting Thursday.
“Until we determine that viability, we won’t identify the site.”
Tilley said naming the site before it’s selected could create confusion.
“You don’t want to create potential hope for others and potential worry for others.”
A long-running process
The cleanup of Boat Harbour since the closure of the Northern Pulp mill in 2020 has been delayed for years due to a variety of factors, including what to do with the sludge after it’s removed as part of the remediation process.
Although the province has federal approval to expand an existing on-site hazardous waste containment facility, that approval included a condition that the government explore alternative sites with Pictou Landing First Nation.
The chief and council for the community oppose the existing site because the storage cell is on land claimed by Pictou Landing First Nation. Last year they filed for a judicial review of the Boat Harbour cleanup plan. Among other things, there are concerns about the long-term risks of the proposed storage site and the hindrances it would create for the community to heal from what some people consider the province’s worst example of environmental racism.
Chief Tamara Young has previously said it would be preferable for the sludge to be stored at the site of the former mill at Abercrombie Point, an option that would get the materials away from her community while also addressing concerns about increased costs related to transportation of the sludge.
Cleanup budget currently $425M
Officials with Pictou Landing did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Tilley said that after years of delays he’s hopeful progress could be getting closer but due diligence and proper assessments must happen first.
What any of this means for the cost and timeline of the project remains to be seen.
The most recent budget figure for the work is $425 million. Tilley said if an alternative site drives up costs, he would expect there would be negotiations with the federal government for additional support.
MORE TOP STORIES
