Ministerial Order issued for Northern Pulp mill site in Pictou
Posted Aug 28, 2026 11:55:47 AM.
The former Northern Pulp mill site in Abercrombie, Pictou is set to have its buildings decommissioned, abated and demolished following an amended Ministerial Order from Environment and Climate Change Minister Timothy Halman.
The Order was issued on August 27 to Northern Timber Nova Scotia Corp. The company has informed the Minister that it expects to begin this work as early as September.
Abatement means safely removing and disposing of any hazardous materials that may be inside the buildings before they are torn down.
This amended Ministerial Order is directed to the company’s closure plan activities and includes certain terms and conditions to ensure it mitigates environmental impact.
As part of the company’s requirement to continue to be in compliance with the Environment Act, the updated Ministerial Order also requires the company to determine if any upgrades are needed to its surface water management process.
The Department’s large industrial file team said in a release it will monitor the site during and after the demolition to ensure that the company is in compliance with the Environment Act.
The amended Ministerial Order is available at this link.
The original Ministerial Order, issued on May 28, 2021, requires the company to monitor surface water and groundwater, collect surface water for testing and dispose of leachate at an approved facility.
