Pictou's Clean the Mill group releases soil data

An activist group pushing to clean up the Northern Pulp paper mill shared its soil-test results with environment department officials Thursday.

Clean the Mill sampled six places within one kilometre of the Boat Harbour treatment facility for Northern Pulp.

The groups results found the the Pictou Landing First Nation had the highest concentrations of heavy metals, including aluminum, zinc and mercury.

Until an expert has analyzed the data, it wont be known if the concentrations of heavy metals have exceeded environmental regulations or if they can be traced back to the mill.

"We know there have been spills in the past around the pulp mill, on pulp mill property. Thats been recorded. Were not talking little spills, were talking tons of mercury, which is a serious biohazard," said group member and medical doctor, John Krawczyk.

While PictouLanding residents are waiting for a cleanup plan from the province, the provincial environment department confirmed the wastewater which flows into the Northumberland Strait contains heavy metals.

Northern Pulp says it can't comment on the test results until Clean the Mill sends them the data.