We’ve heard a lot recently about pollution of Boat Harbour and the Northmberland Strait now and potentially long into the future by effluent from the Northern Pulp Mill in Pictou, but the air pollution is no less omni-present. In her her two earlier “Dirty Dealing” articles, investigative journalist Linda Pannozzo focussed on the liquid effluent:
– Dirty Dealing: Northern Pulp Mill and the province are set to roll the dice with Boat Harbour’s replacement, but a cleaner alternative exists ( Halifax Examiner, Nov 22, 2017)
– Dirty Dealing, Part 2: Wading Through the Quagmire of Northern Pulp’s Fast-tracked Environmental Assessment (Halifax Examiner, Feb 13, 2018)
Now Pannozzo tackles the facts and issues surrounding the air emissions in Dirty Dealing Part 3: Elevated Levels of Cancer-Causing Air Emissions Coming from Abercrombie Pulp Mill, Peer-Reviewed study reveals (Halifax Examiner, Mar 8, 2018 currently behind a paywall, $10 to access the article is well worth it).
From Editor Tim Bousquet’s comments in his Morning File for Mar 9, 2018:
“In a study published in 2017, Dalhousie University researchers reported that air levels of three volatile organic compounds (VOCs) near the Abercrombie pulp mill in Pictou County exceeded cancer risk thresholds and ‘are of primary health concern in terms of population risk,’” reports Linda Pannozzo, who goes on to explore the contents of the Dal study and how it’s been ignored by policy-makers.
This is Part 3 of Pannozzo’s “Dirty Dealing” series, which deals with environmental issues with the Northern Pulp Mill and the province’s response to them. In Part 3, Pannozzo zeroes in on the air pollution generated by the plant.
Besides those serious — alarming, even — concerns, Pannozzo raises two other issues of note…
First is this:…[in Nova Scotia] it could be decided that the harm to human health and the environment are warranted because of the social or economic benefits.
…Second, Pannozzo attempted to contact all six coauthors of the air quality study, and each declined to speak with her
Thanks for digging and speaking LP and TB!