Pictou County's Northern Pulp ordered to cut sulphur smell

The new Liberal government wants to curb the smell of pollution from the Northern Pulp mill in Pictou County and is demanding monthly reports on sulphur levels.

The mill owners and taxpayers have spent millions of dollars over the years trying to cut down the bad sulphur odour. But while there’s been progress, the smell is still a problem.

This is the third time in less then three years the company has been ordered to clean up its emissions

The province is also looking for updates on equipment upgrades designed to bring emissions down.

Environment minister Randy Delorey said the mill's sulphur emissions are in compliance 85 per cent of the time, and department has ordered that be improved by April 2014.

"What you’re going to see is continued improvements, continuing to bring the sulphur emissions within the limits more frequently up to the point of being in full compliance," he said. "What that should result in is better air quality, lower smell, and so on."

The mill said it's disappointed to get a third directive in as many years. General manager Don Breen admits more work needs to be done, but said substantial progress has been made —.a claim acknowledged today by the environment department.   

Critics of the mill say they're concerned about particulate matter coming from Northern Pulp.

But Delorey says the operation is in full compliance with the law when it comes to particulates.