THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper has issued a statement saying the organization is complying with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks' notion of violation after effluent was discharged into the Kaministiquia River last week.
“We have been in continuous communication with the ministry since identifying the issue, and we are taking all steps necessary to fully comply with the Notice of Violation issued this week,” Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper said in an email statement to Newswatch.
The mill said they are monitoring the situation closely and have halted production until they are “certain that all MECP permit requirements are met.”
While the mill is shut down, the organization said employees remain on the job site working on “essential day-to-day” operations.
“While we have never had an event such as this during our long history of operation, we are working actively to resolve it and will provide regular updates as this matter progresses to a conclusion," the mill stated.
The statement comes after a concerned citizen sounded the alarm on social media about a hazardous spill in the Kaministiquia River, which prompted Fort William First Nation Chief Michele Solomon to send the community's environmental team to conduct water sampling.
Solomon also said both the paper mill and the ministry had not informed the First Nation after it was reported to the ministry’s Spills Action Centre on Aug. 23, regarding a "discoloured plume and strong odour" near the mill’s effluent discharge location.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has advised residents not to eat the fish from the Kaministiquia River until more is known about the situation.
That recommendation comes as a result of their consultations with the Ministry of Natural Resources, according to a statement emailed to Newswatch on Friday.
According to the health unit, no risks to municipal water or public beaches have been identified, and public health officials are not directly involved in the response to the effluent spill.
