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Premier calls on N.S. fishermen to end blockade of pipeline survey vessel – CP

Source: The Canadian Press
Nov 8, 2018

HALIFAX _ Nova Scotia’s premier says he’s hoping fishermen end a blockade of survey boats hired to examine a route for an undersea effluent pipeline, but he has no plans to extend the company’s deadline.

Stephen McNeil says he’d “encourage” fishermen to let the seismic research in the Northumberland Strait take place because it’s a lawful activity.

However, he also says it’s up the Northern Pulp mill near Pictou, N.S., to decide whether to call in the RCMP to end the blockade.

McNeil says opponents should recognize an environmental review will allow for public debate over a proposed pipeline that would end the use of a waste-water plant located at Boat Harbour.

The province has set a deadline of the end of January 2020 for Northern Pulp to stop sending its waste to the First Nation territory, and McNeil said again today he has no plans to change that despite the latest delays.

However, a group of Northumberland Strait fishermen have said they will block any survey boats from entering the strait.

A spokesperson for Paper Excellence Canada, the Richmond, B.C., company which owns the pulp mill, has said the survey data would be of interest to various parties, and that it will work with authorities to ensure the safety of all involved.

Paper Excellence has also said the mill and its 300 employees will be out of work unless it can build a pipeline to the strait.

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