Ottawa extends deadline for Boat Harbour environmental assessment decision

The federal minister responsible for a decision on the environmental assessment of plans to clean up Boat Harbour has extended the deadline by 90 days. 

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault extended the time limit for his decision to Jan. 16.

Build Nova Scotia, a provincial agency previously known as Nova Scotia Lands, is developing a plan for cleaning up Boat Harbour, a body of water near Pictou Landing First Nation that for decades received effluent from the Northern Pulp mill. 

The province had a deadline to submit information to the federal government by Aug. 28, but Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Kim Masland said that information was submitted in February.  

A brief history of Boat Harbour and Northern Pulp

5 years ago

Duration 6:29

This timeline covers major events from the 1960s to 2019. It begins with the construction of the pulp mill at Abercrombie Point to Premier Stephen McNeil's 2019 announcement that the Boat Harbour effluent treatment site would close.

"We as a province remain committed to make sure Boat Harbour is cleaned up," Masland said earlier this month. "Would we like to get this going? Absolutely. But there's a process with the federal government." 

Effluent has not been allowed to be deposited in Boat Harbour since 2020. The remediation is expected to cost more than $300 million.