Pictou Mill Belches Black Smoke

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This post has been reviewed by the Halifax Media Co-op editorial committee.

BLOG POST posted on November 24, 2011 by Miles Howe

Blog posts are the work of individual contributors, reflecting their thoughts, opinions and research.

What is Happening at the Pictou Mill?

Yesterday afternoon, Matt Gunning, a life-long citizen of the town of Pictou, was surprised to see thick plumes of abnormally dark grey smoke belching out of the mill. This was no normal day in Pictou. So far, there has been no response from representatives of the mill, or the provincial government, as to what exactly was going on.

Gunning forwarded the following letter, and photo, far and wide (links are added):

Dear respected Ministers and Northern Pulp...aka Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corporation...aka Asia Pulp and Paper...aka Sinar Mas,

As I looked at the mill today I wondered...

1. How is the Environmental Green Transformation Project coming along?

2. Is this what 70% 'odor' reduction looks like?

3. What concentration of toxins would it take to cause emissions to be this black?

4. If this is the best clean up Northern Pulp can afford to do with 30+ million dollars (plus the approx 100 million over the last few years) should tax payers consider giving the mill more money for better results?

I feel sorry for any mill employees exposed to this toxic emission cloud and everyone down wind, not that the regular toxic emissions are much better.

Thank you for your time,

Matt Gunning,

Pictou

Miles Howe's blog

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Comments

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 08:23 — James Duvall (not verified)

Matt Gunning

That black smoke is easily explained. They save all the stupid complaints and then burn them once a week in the power boiler. Keep the boimass coming, rotflmfao...

Knock knock - what's worse than toxic emissions?

Pictou.

Wed, 11/30/2011 - 09:34 — Matt Gunning (not verified)

Mr. Duvall

Thanks for the great joke Mr. Duvall, always a treat to know someone can still mess up a knock-knock joke!

As you are no doubt aware, Pictou County has the highest rates of Cancer and MS in Canada, and according to county Doctors, even more alarming rates of respiratory illnesses.

The following is a quote from Dr. Dan Reid, from the Nova Scotia Medical Journal, 1989, when he reported his concern for the above mentioned illnesses - "Common sense and observation establishes that Pictou's atmosphere differs from other communities in Nova Scotia only by the fact that it is in the immediate vicinity of the air emissions from the [then] Scott kraft pulp mill."

So, while some of us may enjoy your sense of humor...there is, at least, one Doctor who will question your common sense.

Thank you again for your joke, I will pass it onto my friends and neighbours as I visit them in the hospital, maybe it will help brighten up their day.