Terrace Bay Pulp fined $250K for environmental offences

The company that owns the pulp mill in Terrace Bay, Ont. has been fined $250,000 after pleading guilty to seven offences under the Environmental Protection Act.

AV Terrace Bay Inc. owns and operates the mill in Terrace Bay, where it converts wood to pulp.

The offences involved failing to ensure runoff from the kraft pulping process was properly treated before being discharged into Lake Superior via Blackbird Creek, a spokesperson with Ontario's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change wrote in an e-mail to CBC News.

It happened several times between July 1 and Dec. 30, 2013, sparking an investigation by the ministry's investigations and enforcement branch, the spokesperson wrote.

AV Terrace Bay Inc. pleaded guilty to the offences on Oct. 26, 2015, according to the ministry. In addition to the fine, the company was also assessed a victim fine surcharge of $62,500.

It has six months to pay.