The Twin Rivers Paper Company in New Brunswick has been fined $250,000 after pleading guilty to allowing a failed pipeline to dump pulp and paper process water into the Madawaska River.
Environment Canada issued a statement last week saying that on May 10, 2021, enforcement officers spotted the broken pipeline during a routine inspection of the plant in Edmundston, N.B.
An investigation determined the pipeline had been damaged by extensive external corrosion, which resulted in the release of 102,000 litres of process water — also known as groundwood white water — into the river for a period of about 24 hours.
Testing of water samples determined the substance to be harmful to fish in the river, which is home to several species including brook trout, yellow perch and Atlantic salmon.
The fine is the result of Twin Rivers Paper Company pleading guilty in provincial court to violating the federal Fisheries Act.
The company’s name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry, which contains information about corporations convicted under certain federal environmental laws.
According to the provincial government, the Edmundston plant produces about 100 tonnes of groundwood pulp daily for the paper mill in neighbouring Madawaska, Maine.
The proceeds from the fine will be directed to the federal government’s Environmental Damages Fund, which is used to support projects that benefit the environment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2024.
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