Latest news with #Halman
Global News
24-07-2025
- Business
- Global News
No set deadline for company's cleanup plan for shuttered Nova Scotia mill: minister
Nova Scotia's environment minister said Thursday there is no set deadline for Northern Pulp to submit a cleanup plan for its shuttered mill site near Pictou, N.S. Tim Halman told reporters following a cabinet meeting that the next step for the insolvent company is to submit a reclamation plan for the site that will be assessed by his department. 'Once we have the specifics of the plan, we will have more to say,' Halman said of his department's expectations for the mill site cleanup. The mill located in Abercrombie Point, N.S., directly across the harbour from Pictou, used to produce bleached kraft pulp — an ingredient for paper. Northern Pulp announced last week that it was starting a court-supervised sale of its assets as part of a creditor protection process. The company took the step after a feasibility study concluded that it could not achieve the 14 per cent internal rate of return required in a settlement agreement with the province to develop a bioproducts facility near Liverpool, N.S. Story continues below advertisement The company has been under creditor protection since closing the mill in June 2020 after it failed to meet provincial environmental requirements for a new effluent treatment plant. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Under the settlement agreement the cost for the company to implement its mill site closure plan is $15 million. Halman wouldn't say whether that figure will be enough and wouldn't speculate on what would happen if Northern Pulp doesn't have enough money left over to cover the cost following the court process. 'I'm not going to speak to hypotheticals because my department and my staff and myself don't know until we have a reclamation plan from the company,' the minister said. 1:56 Northern Pulp to cut off all discharge into lagoons until end of April Northern Pulp was not immediately available for comment on Thursday. The nearly 200,000 hectares of company-managed timberlands is also in the process of being sold off, and Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton said Thursday that the provincial government is watching to see how that process unfolds. Story continues below advertisement 'This is historical lands that the forestry sector has utilized for the economy … so we are paying attention to ensure that land stays within the forestry sector,' Rushton said, although he wouldn't say whether the province would consider buying it. 'We want to see what the rules are before we make any decisions,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
CBC
24-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Nova Scotia waiting on cleanup plan from Northern Pulp for defunct mill
Social Sharing Northern Pulp is abandoning its plans in Nova Scotia, but the province is still counting on the company to decommission its old mill and clean up the site in Pictou County that was used for heavy industrial activity for more than half a century. Environment Minister Tim Halman says his department is waiting for the company to file a reclamation plan. He offered little other information about how things could unfold. "We'll have more to say about that Abercrombie site when there's updates," he told reporters Thursday following a cabinet meeting, referring to the mill's location in Abercrombie Point. Northern Pulp had been pursuing a new mill in Liverpool, N.S., and had said it would maintain the old mill for "potential logistics operations." But the plan for a new mill was abandoned earlier this month. In a settlement agreement reached last year, Northern Pulp agreed to pay up to $15 million to the province for the mill's closure and any necessary cleanup. The pulp and paper mill was built in the 1960s and operated under several different owners until it was forced to shut down in 2020 and went into a mothball state. A chemical producer, Canso Chemicals, also operated on the site for two decades, leaving behind mercury contamination. Halman wouldn't comment on what the extent of the contamination might be. "The proponent needs to put forward the specifics in that reclamation plan, and once we have that, we'll have more to say," he said. Debts to pay off, first Before Northern Pulp gives the promised $15 million to the province, it must first pay off hundreds of millions of dollars owed to its creditors as part of an insolvency process being handled in a B.C. court. The company is preparing to auction off its assets and it's not clear how much debt it will be able to pay off. Halman said there's no deadline for the reclamation plan to be filed. "It's about expectations, and the province has the expectation that the Environment Act is followed," he said. WATCH| Northern Pulp abandons plans for a new mill: Northern Pulp will not pursue new operation near Liverpool 9 days ago Members of Nova Scotia's forestry sector and the natural resources minister say they're disappointed, but not surprised. On Monday, Northern Pulp announced it would continue with its creditor protection process with an effort to sell off its assets. Michael Gorman has the story. Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said the public deserves a timeline. "I think the community needs a clear set of expectations of when that [reclamation plan] can be released," Mombourquette said. NDP MLA Paul Wozney questioned whether the province will be able to hold Northern Pulp accountable and keep taxpayers off the hook. "How brave do they want to be in using their powers to protect Nova Scotians in that respect?" Wozney said. He wasn't clear about what levers he thought the province should pull to hold the company accountable, saying "it's more a philosophical question than a functional one." Representatives for the company did not immediately respond to questions about the mill's closure and site cleanup.
Global News
13-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
N.S. government says new rules for mining projects will speed up approvals
Nova Scotia's government is streamlining the approval process for potential mining projects after they go through an environmental assessment. Environment Minister Timothy Halman announced changes today to the 'industrial approval' process, which sets rules for the daily operations of a mine, and the monitoring of environmental requirements. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Halman told a news conference in Halifax that his government's new 'phased' approach allows applicants to submit some details about their plans after their projects have been approved. For example, a company will be able to submit erosion- and sedimentation-control plans after its project's approval but before construction on the mine begins. As well, Halman says his department will create a new specialized team to handle all mining files to ensure timely processing of requests. The minister says the changes will help projects begin more quickly, while maintaining environmental standards. Story continues below advertisement This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Nova Scotia makes changes to temporary food permits
The government of Nova Scotia has made changes to temporary food permits, ahead of the summer season. The changes will help make the application process quicker and easier for food vendors, a news release said. The changes include: all information on temporary food permits now available in one online location the application form reduced by half and simplified to make it quicker and easier to complete clearer rules on who needs a permit an expanded list of exempted foods not needing a permit rewritten in plain language; available in English, French, Arabic, Chinese and Hindi one application that can be used to apply for temporary food permits for multiple events hosted by the same vendor or organization in the same calendar year; in the past, a separate application was required for every event. Temporary food permits are required under Nova Scotia's Food Safety Regulations for food prepared or served to the public for 14 days or less within a 60-day period per location, such as at a community festival or fair. The department issued more than 900 permits in 2024, with around half of them being for one-day events. 'Across Nova Scotia, food brings people together,' said Timothy Halman, minister of environment and climate change. 'Festivals, fairs and other community events with food are also important fundraisers for community organizations and are usually run by volunteers. These changes support better client service and more efficient delivery of government services so that community groups don't have to spend unnecessary hours on paperwork, while still giving the public confidence that the food served is safe.' For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
National Observer
08-05-2025
- Business
- National Observer
Nova Scotia to speed up environmental reviews for clean energy projects
The Nova Scotia government is accelerating the environmental review process for a number of clean energy projects to meet its climate goals and get off coal by 2030. Under changes announced Thursday, large biomass, biogas and clean fuel projects have been changed to Class 1 from Class 2, meaning they can be approved within 50 days. The more rigorous Class 2 assessment, which can take more than two years, is now reserved for projects such as pulp mills, cement plants, incinerators and large energy plants. The government is also classifying small modular reactor projects, previously not covered by regulations, as Class 1, a designation that had previously been reserved for renewable projects involving wind, tidal and solar energy, as well as for biofuels, mines, quarries and alterations to large wetlands. Environment Minister Tim Halman says the province has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 'Without the ability to build faster we will not be able to meet our climate change and energy security commitments,' said Halman. 'These changes are intended to speed up our transition to clean energy, fight global climate change and support sustainable development.' Under the changes, small wood biomass projects will now be exempt from the environmental review process and will be managed through the Environment Department's industrial approval process. Meanwhile, the province is extending the Class 1 consultation period for members of the public and Mi'kmaq communities by 10 days, for a total of 40 days, while the entire assessment period remains at 50 days. As well, companies will also have to provide a 'plain language' summary of a proposed project's benefits and impacts, and the government will include new 'plain language' guidance for companies on the environmental review process, which will include climate change as a factor to be considered before a minister approves a project. 'It's a clarified Class 1 system,' said Halman. 'A clear process that will protect the environment and build up the economy.' The changes come after Premier Tim Houston signalled his intent earlier this year to increase the potential of the province's natural resources. In March, his government passed legislation to lift a moratorium on fracking and a ban on uranium mining and exploration. Officials on Thursday did not say whether potential shale gas fracking projects would be assessed under a Class 1 or Class 2 process. In a followup email, the Environment department said companies interested in such drilling would need to get permission from the Department of Energy and then approval through the province's industrial review process. The new classifications were welcomed by Todd Burgess, executive director of the industry group Forest Nova Scotia. 'Simplifying regulation is going to be very good for the forest sector, it will help us grow and create more jobs long term in rural Nova Scotia,' Burgess told reporters. However, Karen McKendry, senior wilderness outreach co-ordinator for the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, said that while more cleaner energy projects are needed, the changes to the review process 'aren't meaningfully helpful in getting us there.' 'One of the major problems with the process already that they didn't change today was around transparency,' said McKendry, who noted that the government held consultations in 2023 on changes needed to environment reviews. She said many participants in the consultations called on the government to take public comment seriously and for the minister to provide a rationale for environmental approval decisions. McKendry said that simply adding 10 days to the Class 1 consultation period will do little. 'I think for communities that will be 10 more days of shouting into the void,' she said.
