Bathurst mill site past cleanup deadline

The New Brunswick government is looking into legal action against a U.S.company for failing to clean up theoldmill site in Bathurst.

Green Investment Group Inc. (GIGI)bought the former Smurfit-Stonepropertyin 2010, with the promise of a "green" cleanup.Instead, the site was stripped of valuable metals and equipment, and left in disrepair.

In April, the Department ofEnvironment and Local Government Ministerand local MLA,Brian Kenny,issued a ministerial order, giving the company120 days to clean up the site.

But the deadlinepassed on Aug. 14.

"Upon completion of the investigation, our department intends to refer this file to the attorney general's arm of prosecution branch to determine whether charges are going to be laid," Kenny told CBC News.

City's final notice ignored

The City of Bathurst has also been making efforts to take GIGI to task.

City officials say the mill property is in violation of the municipality'sdangerous and unsightly premises bylaw, but despite being given final notice, the company has not responded.

"We issued a notice, and nothing has come forward," said Mayor Stephen Brunet.

"There's a businessman who says he's going to buy it, but nothing has come forward."

Brunet says the city can't afford to go after GIGI for the cost of the cleanup.

"We could spend millions on this file and not get the results we're looking for," he said.

GIGI is also nearly $1 million behind in its taxes in Bathurst.

The company, which alsobought two former Smurfit-Stone paper mills in Quebec in 2010, also failed to complete the environmental cleanup of those sites, according to government officials.

The sudden closure of the Bathurst mill in 2005 left hundreds of peoplein the small city out of a job.The site has served as a sad reminder ever since.

Earlier this week, councilvoted to change the name of the Smurfit-StonePublic Libraryto BathurstPublic Library.