Northern Pulp Reaffirms Environmental Stewardship Commitment

Northern Pulp, in Nova Scotia, has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental stewardship by signing an Environmental Stewardship Partners Program (ESPP) agreement with the Pictou Harbour Environment Protection Project (PHEPP), a community-based environmental organization.

The ESP was created to identify common interests and goals leading toward environmentally responsible community decision making and action. This Northern Pulp and PHEPP agreement renews the original ESP Letter of Understanding that was signed 15 years ago.

“The first agreement has continued to pay dividends for Northern Pulp, the environment, and for the community,” said Don Breen, Vice-President Strategic Planning and Governmental Affairs, Northern Pulp. “The sharing of information and advice coupled with the unique projects carried out by PHEPP has been beneficial not only to the community but the mill as well.”

Since this time, Northern Pulp has shared environmental performance data and goals and PHEPP has provided community input and advice to ensure company actions meet the needs of community stakeholders. PHEPP also played a significant role in encouraging pollution prevention programs at the mill and helped the company establish Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification.

“Each of us has a role to play ensuring the environmental sustainability of our region,” said Robert Christie, Executive Director, PHEPP. “Our partnerships and joint action, including this agreement with Northern Pulp, are an effective means of achieving sustained environmental quality.”

Since 1995, Northern Pulp has partnered on 29 projects with PHEPP contributing funding, equipment and services to a variety of projects including volunteer river water quality monitoring and the community air-shed monitoring management project.

“These projects illustrate the partnership’s greatest benefits and the results have been impressive,” said Christie. “We would never have been able to undertake these projects without the support and resources provided by Northern Pulp and their commitment to work jointly toward environmental improvement.”

“As an organization Northern Pulp and our employees want the same as everyone else for their families and children - a clean, productive and healthy environment,” said Breen.

Source: Northern Pulp