Saint John residents have 180 days to provide feedback as New Brunswick reviews the air-quality approval for Irving Pulp and Paper’s Reversing Falls mill. The provincial process gives members of the public an opportunity to comment before the facility’s existing approval expires on May 31.
The review concerns a major industrial operation on the city’s waterfront. According to information released by the province, the complex produces approximately 1,000 tonnes of bleached kraft pulp and about 200 tonnes of tissue each day. Its operations must meet requirements under the province’s air-quality regulation, which is administered through the Clean Air Act.
A formal opportunity for public input
The province’s announcement begins a participation period tied to the renewal of the mill’s air-quality approval. Residents and other interested parties can review the public documents and submit their views as part of the process. The material is intended to allow the public to consider the facility’s conditions and offer recommendations before the renewal is completed.
“Citizens are able to go and give their feedback.”
That was the message from Gordon Dalzell, a Saint John clean-air activist, who spoke with Shift about the review. Dalzell said people who are interested in air-quality matters can use the province’s website to provide feedback and indicate what they would like to see in the renewed approval.
- Review period: 180 days
- Facility: Irving Pulp and Paper’s Reversing Falls mill
- Current approval: Set to expire May 31
- Daily production identified by the province: About 1,000 tonnes of bleached kraft pulp and 200 tonnes of tissue
Compliance does not settle every concern
Dalzell said the public documents indicate the mill has complied with the conditions attached to its current approval. That record is part of the information available for the renewal review, but he argued that compliance alone does not answer every question about the facility’s effect on the community.
His concerns reflect the distinction between meeting regulatory requirements and eliminating all possible effects from industrial activity. Dalzell said Saint John has several industrial sources of air pollution and that residents may notice them through their sight or smell, or experience other effects. He also pointed to concerns among people with respiratory conditions and other vulnerable populations.
The province’s process therefore places the next stage of the discussion partly in the hands of the public. Residents can assess the available information, consider the mill’s operating conditions and submit comments during the designated period. The review does not, by itself, establish that the mill is causing a specific health effect; it creates a formal channel for concerns and recommendations to be considered alongside the facility’s compliance record.
What the review means for Saint John
For Saint John, the renewal is both a local regulatory matter and part of a broader provincial approach to industrial air quality. The Reversing Falls operation is a significant production site, while the approval sets the conditions under which it must operate. Public participation allows residents to respond to those conditions at a scheduled point rather than only after the approval has been renewed.
People wishing to take part should consult the province’s public documents and website for the submission process and relevant information. The 180-day window gives residents time to review the material and provide comments before the current approval reaches its expiry date. The province’s release did not indicate in the supplied information what decision will follow the consultation or whether any particular conditions will change.
