Option 1: Boat Harbour
For 50 years, The Northern Pulp Mill in Pictou County has released effluent into Boat Harbor, neighboring Pictou Landing First Nation. The Province of NS has mandated that the current treatment facility be shut down by 2020 where reclamation will then ensue. Issues concerning the companies plan to relocate an effluent pipe into The Northumberland Strait, an economical fishery for NB, NS, and PEI has created uproar about the future of the pulp mill in the region. An estimated reclamation cost of 133 million dollars for Boat Harbor has created controversy concerning who is responsible between the Provincial and Federal governments, as well as the citizens of Pictou County and Paper Excellence, the owner of Northern Pulp. Through an Interdisciplinary approach, this field trip will inform attendees of the multi-stakeholder issue that surrounds the future reclamation of Boat Harbor, and the future production of the pulp mill in the area.
Option 2: Colchester Material Recovery Facility
Built in 1996, the Colchester Solid Waste Facilities are responsible for the disposal and storage of solid and compostable waste for Colchester County, while the Colchester Recycling Facility processes the Municipal recyclables from Antigonish, Guysborough, Pictou, East Hants, and Windsor Counties. This field trip will offer a tour of the Colchester County Waste Management Facilities to provide attendee’s with on-site exposure of the processes involved in waste management in adherence with provincial regulations. This tour will feature a historical review of Nova Scotia’s recycling programs, as well as the future of waste disposal and recycling in Nova Scotia, through an environmentally sustainable management approach.