$400 Million Committed for Tar Ponds Cleanup
SYDNEY TAR PONDS AGENCY--$400 Million Committed for Tar Ponds Cleanup
Stephen Owen, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, David Anderson, Minister of the Environment and John Hamm, Premier of Nova Scotia, today, May 12, announced up to $400 million in funding for the cleanup of the Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Ovens. The province will provide $120 million and the government of Canada will contribute up to $280 million.
The minister and the premier signed a memorandum of agreement committing their governments to a cleanup that will use proven, effective technologies to safely destroy the worst contaminants and treat the remaining material before encapsulating both sites with an engineered containment system.
The sites will be restored and landscaped in a manner consistent with their natural surroundings and future use. Upon completion of the cleanup, the province will assume ownership of the properties.
"This day has been a long time coming, and we're delighted to be getting on with the job," Premier Hamm said. "With the solution to this problem underway, the people of Sydney can focus their famous creative energies and talents on building a sustainable future for this wonderful island."
The province will create an agency to lead and implement the cleanup.
"The time has come for action on the Sydney Tar Ponds," said Mr. Owen. "This project will pay dividends to the citizens of Sydney while contributing to the social, economic and environmental sustainability of their community."
"We made it a priority to conclude discussions with the government of Nova Scotia and the citizens of Sydney to establish an effective approach and division of responsibilities for the clean up of the Sydney Tar Ponds," said Mr. Anderson. "As Canada's Minister of the Environment, I am pleased to be a part of the turning point to correct the environmental errors of the past with a resolve to forge a sustainable future for the citizens of Sydney and its future generations."
The project will proceed on several fronts over the coming months. The removal of the Domtar tank will conclude this summer. Design work will continue on a number of preventative works including the removal of the cooling pond, the construction of a cofferdam at Battery Point closing off the Tar Ponds from Sydney Harbour, the relocation of the Victoria Road water main, and the rerouting of Coke Ovens brook through Mullins Bank.
"I'm extremely pleased that a successful conclusion to this long- standing problem is now in hand," said Nova Scotia Energy Minister Cecil Clarke, speaking on behalf of Ron Russell, Minister responsible for the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency. "The community can now proceed to turn this local challenge into a development opportunity limited only by our imagination."
Governments will work with contractors to develop a detailed project description that will be subject to a joint environmental assessment. The assessment will identify measures needed to ensure the cleanup of the Sydney Tar Ponds is carried out in a way that protects the environment and human health.
"The quality of life of Canadians today and tomorrow is largely defined by the vitality of the communities we call home," said Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Geoff Regan. "Cleaning up sites like the Sydney Tar Ponds will ensure our cities provide a vibrant and dynamic place to live. Today's announcement of the final stage in the cleanup of the contaminated sites in the heart of Sydney demonstrates this government's commitment to sustainable and healthy communities," he added.
The proposed cleanup will take 10 years to complete and will create an estimated 2,700 person-years of employment. PCB- contaminated sediments in the Tar Ponds and the contents of the tar cell on the Coke Ovens will be removed and destroyed using a safe, proven technology such as high temperature incineration. The remaining material will be treated with bioremediation or solidification and stabilization, and then encapsulated with an engineered containment system.
"We are asking all residents to imagine what Sydney can be. Over the next 10 years we will see our community transformed. This is a turning point for Sydney, one that will shift its focus toward the future instead of the past," said Member of Parliament Mark Eyking.
Over the last seven years, governments have been working closely with the community to assess the sites and understand them in sufficient detail for governments to plan and implement an effective cleanup plan. Significant groundwork -- including the removal of derelict buildings, the capping of the old municipal landfill, and the installation of the interceptor sewer -- has been completed to prepare the site for remediation.