Province Steps up Control of Mackenzie Mill

Monday, January 26, 2009 12:30 PM

Mackenzie, B.C. - The Ministry of Environment has ramped up its order at the Worthington Pulp Mill in Mackenzie.

Environment Minister Barry Penner issued an emergency declaration Sunday night, essentially taking over the operation after workers once again threatened to walk off the job.

Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union Local 1092 President Carl Bernasky says this expanded order follows a spill prevention order put in place last week.

Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell calls the situation "highly unusual".

"In the seven and a half years that I've been involved in the political process, I've never seen anything like this previously where there was an active site underway where the employer was not paying their employees and where it turned into an environmental emergency."

Bernasky says the province has promised that workers will be paid.

"We're going to get proper equipment to do our job. Under Dan White and Worthington , we were selling our old oil barrels back and scrounging here and there to try and get fuel for the loader to feed the boiler."

Bell says the order will be in place for two weeks. After that he says the province will have to see how to proceed.

He says the prime concern is for the safety of residents and protection of the environment.

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Posted on Monday, January 26, 2009 12:30 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on January 26 2009 1:03 PM

Seeing as how my government has decided to involve itself with the running of a pulp mill, I guess the Dippers funding Skeena was different. Oh, well. Maybe Gordo should rename the pulp mill the "Peoples Pulp Mill of Mackenzie". After all, it is taxpayers money.

Posted by: astro on January 26 2009 1:22 PM

Good point Harbinger. It looks like they are borrowing a page from the NDP.

Posted by: Denaljo on January 26 2009 1:42 PM

The good ol Liberals just have to go one step more than the NDP. Ndp had fast ferries and Skeena now we have Mackenzie and the convention centre the Oly village BC place and the sea to sky and Olympic security. Just wait til al those bills roll in on us taxpayers.

Posted by: He speaks on January 26 2009 2:13 PM

Well, this is good news to Mackenzie. A pulpmill with broken is not going to start up again. Thus the mill is going to be expropiated from the new owners. Protect the investment, and pay those 50 workers. It isn't much but it adds 3 million dollars into the community for wages over the next year and maybe even another 3 million in keeping it together.

Should they start it up again, well, only if the workers own it. We the province can provide the bond to ensure it gets started on the right foot. They can call themselves, BC Forest Products. (ha ha, some of you will catch on)

Its not easy for the government. If they sat back and did nothing it would be the end of the mill, and a $50 million dollar clean up bill. Thus investing the five million to it, and keep a few people working is good.

If the workers and management can get themselves on the same page, and throw away the old think hats, this is the time for them to take back the mill. Keep the mill running and build there own future.

Knock knock. This opportunity Mackenzie workers.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 26 2009 3:31 PM

I wonder if Worthington has actually coughed up the cash for the mill or is full payment still pending?
A very odd situation.
Harmac is an example of what could be done,but this may not be the best time to do it!
Haven't heard how Harmac is doing through this economic mess!

Posted by: Mercenary on January 26 2009 4:36 PM

You people who are looking for the workers to purchase the mill and run it on their own are living in a dream world. There is no money left in Mackenzie to fund a project like that. Some will say that if Harmac workers could do it then why not Mackenzie workers. Well look at it this way...Harmac is located on Vancouver Island where property values remain high. Anyone who owns a home down there probably has some equity built up and that is what they used to secure the loans to purchase the mill. Mackenzie property values have dropped quite a bit over the last year ad with this economic crisis that the world is in right now credit is tight and getting tighter.

Unless the goverment is willing to float a loan to the remaining workers for the purchase price of the mill and working capital to get it back on its feet and running while they find customers to sell pulp to then there is no way anyone left in Mackenzie could afford to do this.

Posted by: gamblor on January 26 2009 7:52 PM

Worthington is what a realtor would call a "distressed" seller - who says anybody needs to "secure financing"??? Worthington now owes the government money and supposedly has none of their own. What do you offer for that mill, in the dead of winter??? Try 50 bucks, final offer. Worthington just found out the hard way running a pulp mill is a wee bit different than running an apartment block or an old folks homes.