Tag Archives: Northern Pulp

CBC News is reporting that Northern Pulp has been ordered by the Nova Scotia government to fix its air pollution equipment and that their power boiler stack hasn’t had an operating scrubber for the last 6 years.

A new operating permit last year imposed dozens of conditions on Northern Pulp, and most of them have been met, except for a January deadline to clean up the emissions from the power boiler.

Sterling Belliveau, Nova Scotia’s environment minister, said it was a long-standing problem. “Previous governments had the opportunity to deal with this issue. They didn’t; we are,” he said.

Read more:
Northern Pulp ordered to fix air pollution problem (CBC)

Northern Pulp, of Ambercrombie Point, Nova Scotia, has been selected as the safest operation in its class for 2011 according to Pulp & Paper Canada Magazine’s ‘Safest Mill in Canada’ competition.

The results, announced March 8, indicated that Northern Pulp had the lowest total recordable incident rate in Canada when compared with other mills in its category.

The annual competition sees 45 to 50 mills in Canada compete for top safety honours in categories determined by the number of hours worked at the mill in a calendar year. Northern Pulp falls into the under 600,000 hours worked category along with 24 other mills. The safety record is determined by the number of reportable incidents over the number of hours worked.

“Through our employees’ hard work and dedication to safety, we only had one recordable incident without any lost time for over 560,000 hours worked at the mill in 2011,” said Don Breen, Acting General Manager, Northern Pulp. “This is an incredible achievement and a deserving honour for our employees.”

Breen is very proud to win this award for 2011 as it was a particularly busy year at the Pictou Mill that included one of the most ambitious planned shutdowns in recent history. “During our scheduled shutdown last October, we completed extensive work on our Green Transformation projects in addition to our regular scheduled maintenance. At times we had over 600 contractors, 145 term employees and over 200 Northern Pulp employees on site to complete the necessary work.”

The mill has been in operation since 1967, presenting unique challenges when it comes to safety according to Co-Chairs of the Occupational Health & Safety Committee, Pierre Grandmaison and Ron Archibald. They explained that this win is an outstanding achievement considering the challenge of safely operating an aging facility that requires more attention especially during start ups after planned or unplanned outages.

Mike Pittoello, Safety Leader for Northern Pulp, credits employees for their effort and willingness to participate in safety initiatives. “We have adopted a common sense approach to safety where we develop an understanding and acknowledgement of the hazards in our lives while driving, working around the house or in the workplace. Once recognized as a hazard we are responsible to control our exposure and reduce the risk of injury or loss.”

Northern Pulp has won ‘Safest Mill in Canada’ once before in 2005. Since then, the mill has changed ownership twice. This is the first win for new owners, Paper Excellence Canada, who acquired Northern Pulp in March 2011.

Source: Northern Pulp

Hodgson’s Chipping Ltd. will be closing up its operation in Truro, Nova Scotia this spring.

The company has been in business for over 40 years and has progressed from being a two-man and one-horse logging show to one of Nova Scotia’s largest logging contractors.

Over the years, the company has focused on producing wood chips for Northern Pulp and NewPage Port Hawkesbury.

The company isn’t in financial trouble, yet, but they feel there is no other likely outcome for their business.

Among the current problems facing the company are:

• Nova Scotia’s decision to reduce clearcutting by 50% over 5 years
• Low price paid for chips and wood by the mills
• High cost of fuel
• Labour shortage
• Shortage of viable softwood

Hodgson’s Chipping Ltd. supplied 85% of its product to Northern Pulp, while the other 15% went to NewPage Port Hawkesbury.

Company president McKay Hodgson said Nova Scotia’s regulations on the forestry industry, such as the recent mandate to reducing clearcutting by 50% over five years, are going to kill the business. In fact, McKay’s eldest son Vaughn, one of 4 sons who help run the business, believes the new forestry regulations kill of all of Nova Scotia’s pulp mills.

“The government came up with the genius idea of controlling the way the wood is cut in Nova Scotia without our input.

“It (would have) cost us more money to produce that wood because of those regulations. It was going to be on our backs to do the extra work that had to be done. Northern Pulp was not going to pay for it.”

“With the way the pulp companies in general treat the contractor, there’s going to be more to follow.”

“They treat them with no respect. Zero. They just think that there’s a never-ending supply of contractors, that when one lies down or goes under there’s just going to be somebody else to fill his boots.”
~Vaughn Hodgson

The closing of the NewPage mill hurt Hodgson’s Chipping, leaving the company out $142,000.

Concerning the labour shortage, Vaughn Hodgson told The Chronicle Herald, “The people are leaving Nova Scotia because we can’t afford to pay them really what they’re worth, because we’re not getting enough money to do what we’re doing.”

Mike McLarty, Timberlands Manager for Northern Pulp, said it will be “challenging” to find an alternative supplier when Hodgson’s closes.

Hodgson’s Chipping Ltd. plans on phasing everything out between now and mid-April. All the equipment will be auctioned off through Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers near the beginning of May.

“We have some 160 pieces going in the auction,” said McKay Hodgson. “There’s trucks, processors, forwarders — machines that haul the wood out of the woods — chippers and grapple skidders.”

Hodgson’s Chipping Ltd. employs about 70 people.

Sources:
Forestry firm to close, leaving 70 jobless (Chronicle Herald)
Local forestry contractor citing government for spring closure (Truro Daily)
The Chipping Route (Canadian Biomass)

On Thursday a dark plume of smoke was released from the Northern Pulp mill in Nova Scotia (see photo from the Halifax Media Co-op).

Don Breen, vice-president at Northern Pulp, said the discoloured smoke occurred around 12:30pm on Thursday when the recovery boiler at the mill was tripped causing a second boiler to take over the entire steam load for the mill.

When this happened, there was an increase of fuel to the unit and not enough air for complete combustion, resulting in the discoloured plume.

Breen said the problem was corrected and the proper balanced was achieved within 13 minutes.

Read more:
Pictou Mill Belches Black Smoke (Halifax Media Co-op)
Northern Pulp explains cause of discolored plume (The News)
Trip of boiler results in discoloured plume issuing from Northern Pulp (The News)

Northern Pulp will wrap up its scheduled maintenance shutdown on Monday.

Starting on October 16, the mill has been busy working on three major Green Transformation projects during this shutdown:

• A boiler upgrade that will reduce oil use by 2.5 million litres per year
• A recovery cycle project that will reduce the amount of chemical used in the pulp process
• An odour reduction project that will cut the mill’s odour emissions by 70%

These projects are seeing an average of over 600 contractors, 145 term employees, and over 200 Northern Pulp employees onsite every day during the shutdown.

This shutdown is a $20 million investment including $8 million for the maintenance work and $12 million for work on the environmental improvement projects which are scheduled to be completed by end of this year.

“This is a huge undertaking to move our Green Transformation projects forward in addition to completing the usual maintenance that is required,” said Don Breen, Vice President, Business Development & Environmental Affairs. “We have a small window of time to get this work done so we can get the Mill up and running again. The contractors, term and full-time employees are doing a fantastic job to safely deliver on our commitment to operational and environmental improvements.”

“This shutdown is critical to improve the Mill’s efficiency and long-term viability while helping Northern Pulp reduce odour emissions, increase renewable energy production and improve our environmental performance,” said Breen. “As a part of this community, it’s great to see that the local economy is benefiting from the activities at the Mill.”

Source: Northern Pulp

Northern Pulp, of Abercrombie, Nova Scotia, took 4 days of downtime last week to make repairs to one of its boilers.

A tube leak was discovered in relation to one of the boilers, and an orderly shut down of the plant followed last Wednesday night.

The repairs were made, and the mill resumed operations on Sunday evening.

Back in May of this year, this mill was sold to Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corp.

Source:
Pulp plant shut down for boiler repairs (The News)

A scathing article was published yesterday about Paper Excellence and the horrible financial and environmental track record of its parent company, Asia Pulp and Paper – the forestry arm of the giant Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas.

The author mentions that the company defaulted on $12 billion in bonds in 2001, throwing the Indonesian economy, and indeed the entire Southeast Asian economy, into a downward spiral.

Concern is raised over Paper Excellence’s fifth, and latest Canadian acquisition – the Northern Pulp mill in Nova Scotia. The mill has had an ongoing environmental issue for decades stemming from its use of Boat Harbour as a lagoon for its effluent. Will Paper Excellence finally clean up Boat Harbour?

Is our government doing the right thing, welcoming this company to Canada?

Read the article:
Pulp Dreams – Pictou Mill is Asia Pulp Paper’s Latest Acquisition. There Goes The Neighbourhood! (Halifax Media Co-op)

Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC and Atlas Holdings LLC completed the sale of Northern Resources Nova Scotia Corporation to Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corp of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, the firms announced today.

Northern Resources is the parent company of Northern Pulp Nova Scotia, the Pictou County kraft pulp mill, and Northern Timber, which owns Nova Scotia forest land. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Atlas and Blue Wolf acquired the company from Neenah Paper in 2008 amidst uncertainty about the mill’s future as a result of very difficult business conditions in the forestry sector worldwide. Since then, Northern Pulp’s workforce has improved efficiency and productivity and local management has worked closely with stakeholders to stabilize the business.

From 2008 to 2010, the mill’s annual production increased 13%, from 249,030 tonnes to 282,100 tonnes, while the company’s safety performance improved to the best performance in the mill’s 44 year history, with 258 consecutive days without a lost-time incident. During this time period, a $15 million investment in the mill, securing $28 million in federal Green Transformation funding, a $1 million investment in R&D, the acquisition of forest land for active management and a commitment to work with Pictou Landing First Nation on economic development have been instrumental in the mill’s resurgence.

“Our investment in Northern Resources exemplifies Blue Wolf’s investment strategy of creating value through responsible investing,” said Adam Blumenthal, Managing Partner of Blue Wolf. “Together with Atlas, management, employees, First Nations and local government and residents, we have restructured an underperforming business, improved environmental standards, and invested in R&D, which has resulted in improved stability and growth that benefits the community’s many stakeholders as well as our investors.”

“We’ve found everyone associated with the mill and community to be interested in and committed to building a strong and sustainable business,” said Tim Fazio, Managing Partner with Atlas Holdings. “We are pleased to transfer ownership to Paper Excellence Canada and believe their strategic focus and substantial technical and financial resources will ensure the long-term competitiveness of the mill.”

“We have been impressed by Northern Pulp’s operations, employees, and the quality of stakeholder relationships and partnerships,” says Ed Roste, Vice President Operations, Paper Excellence Canada. “We welcome Northern Resources into the Paper Excellence family.”

Source: Joint Press Release

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union is pleased that Paper Excellence will be purchasing the Northern Pulp and Northern Timber pulp and paper mills at Abercrombie Point, Nova Scotia.

“The purchase brings a much-needed sense of stability to our members who have been living with uncertainty about their future,” says CEP’s Atlantic Regional Vice-President Chuck Shewfelt.

“Paper Excellence had been actively investing in other mills where we have members. We are looking forward to working with them, and hope for a long and constructive relationship,” says Shewfelt.

CEP represents some 200 workers at the Pictou County mills and is Canada’s largest union of forestry workers.

Source: CEP

Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corp of Vancouver, B.C. has reached an agreement to acquire Northern Resources, the parent company of Northern Pulp Nova Scotia and Northern Timber, Abercrombie Point, Nova Scotia.

“The agreement is good news for the company’s 230 employees, 400 timberlands contract employees, suppliers and community and business partners as it strengthens the mill’s economic position over the long-term,” says Wayne Gosse, President and Chief Financial Officer, Northern Resources. “A strong demand for the mill’s product globally presents a great opportunity for the mill to be part of a large international network of pulp mills and to diversify and expand its markets.”

The traceability of Northern Pulp’s products to sustainable forest resources is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), exceeding provincial and Canadian national forestry laws and regulations. In January, Natural Resources Canada and the Green Transformation Program Fund recognized the operation’s commitment to environmental improvement by investing $28 million in three clean-tech programs to benefit Northern Pulp mill operations and the surrounding community.

Gosse says Paper Excellence Group has an excellent track record in Canada in terms of business leadership, labour and First Nations partnerships, and environmental stewardship. Paper Excellence operates three mills in Canada: Meadow Lake in Saskatchewan and Howe Sound and Mackenzie in British Columbia, and is in the process of acquiring the long closed Prince Albert mill in Saskatchewan. The Group currently employs over 800 Canadians.

“We have been impressed by Northern Pulp’s operations, employees, and the quality of stakeholder relationships and partnerships,” says Ed Roste, Vice President Operations, Paper Excellence Canada. “We welcome Northern Resources into the Paper Excellence family. The Northern Resources team will continue to operate the mill and land holdings under the Northern Pulp name, and there are no job impacts as a result of the transaction. We’re committed to continuing to build productive relationships with labour, First Nations, NGOs, and community partners to achieve balance of social, environmental and economic priorities in industry and forest management.”

Northern Pulp was sold by Neenah Paper three years ago amidst uncertainty about the mill’s future as a result of very difficult business conditions in the forestry sector worldwide. Since then, Northern Pulp’s workforce has improved efficiency and productivity and local management has worked closely with stakeholders to stabilize the business. A $1 million investment in R&D, the acquisition of 422,000 acres of forest land for active management and a commitment to work with Pictou Landing First Nation on economic development have been instrumental in the mill’s resurgence.

Source: Northern Pulp