Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
Federal officials could not be reached for comment, but the company issued a statement saying it is committed to safe operations that will protect the Shubenacadie River.“As designed and operated, we are confident that Alton will not have an impact on fish or fish habitat in the Shubenacadie estuary,” the company said.
The project has been on hold since protests started in 2014, and a protest camp was set up near the river two years later. “That being said, we appreciate that some people continue to have questions about the brine release process. We continue to engage with project stakeholders with respect to questions they may have, and we are open to the development of the new regulation by Environment and Climate Change Canada.”
“The project is designed to ensure that the salt concentration … the river would not exceed the highest naturally occurring salt concentrations in the river,” the department said in a notice of intent posted Monday on its website.