Nova Scotia: Boat Harbour cleanup project on the way

Nova Scotia Lands Inc. is currently working on the Boat Harbour Remediation Project that will remove all sludge material from the harbour effluent treatment facility aeration stabilization basins.

The Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility, located in north central Nova Scotia on the Northumberland Strait, was constructed in 1967 and reconfigured several times since its construction.

The Government of Nova Scotia owns the Boat Harbour facility and operated the facility until December 1995. In January 1996, the facility was leased to the owners of the pulp mill at Abercrombie Point, who have operated it since.

The goal of the cleanup is to return the Boat Harbour to its original state as a tidal estuary. Before a return to tidal, the contaminants must be cleaned up.

According to Nova Scotia Government officials, the cleanup of Boat Harbour is expected to cost at least $217 million. The federal government has agreed to contribute $100 million toward the project. The Province is committed to covering the rest of the costs.

The cleanup will begin once the federal environmental assessment process is complete and approved. The approval is expected in 2021, with the cleanup to start in 2022.

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