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Directive issued to Northern Pulp after ash leak earlier this month

Nova Scotia's Environment Department released a directive Tuesday to the Northern Pulp mill for a leak earlier this month. Northern Pulp Corporation

Nova Scotia’s Environment Department released a directive Tuesday to the Northern Pulp mill for a leak earlier this month.

The directive says the Pictou-area mill must submit a plan to prevent further discharges of power boiler ash slurry into a ditch northwest of the facility’s power boiler ash pond by June 29.

READ MORE: Assessment of N.S. mill’s effluent plan proper according to rules

The company must also inspect the Pictou Harbour shoreline along its property on a bi-weekly basis and clean up any boiler ash found there and submit reports on its activities, also on a bi-weekly basis.

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In an email, Kathy Cloutier, communications director with the mill’s parent company Paper Excellence, says a leak occurred in the mill’s ash line that sent wood ash to a ditch in front of the mill on Feb. 9.

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Cloutier says cleanup began the same day and the mill also notified the Environment Department.

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She says immediate action was taken to remove the line from service and it has since been repaired, inspected, and returned to service.

To avoid any wood ash reaching the ditch in the future, Cloutier said Northern Pulp would redirect the trench carrying the line under the employee parking lot directly to the ash pit when weather permits.

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