Province Will Do Environmental Study of Mine
TOURISM/CULTURE--Province Will Do Environmental Study of Mine Site
The Nova Scotia Government will conduct a comprehensive environmental evaluation of an abandoned underground coal mine in the town of Inverness.
The study is an essential step to remediation of the property. The underground mine was operated by the province until it closed in 1954.
The Department of Transportation and Public Works is currently working on the terms of reference for the evaluation. It's estimated that the assessment will take five months and will focus on collection and analysis of geo-technical information.
"We understand and support the community's desire to turn this site into a positive force for the local economy," said Tourism and Culture Minister Rodney MacDonald. "Effective remediation could allow development of the site, but we need more environmental information to make sure we identify and address all elements necessary for an appropriate remediation."
The departments of Tourism and Culture, Transportation and Public Works, and Economic Development are sharing the $250,000 in costs associated with this initial environmental evaluation.
The provincial decision to go ahead with the detailed environmental investigation work is a critical part of a larger $9 million community development initiative on the western shore of Cape Breton Island, supported by Inverness County communities, the private sector and all levels of government. An Inverness Links golf course has been proposed for the site.
The Inverness Development Association (IDA), along with local community and business interests, view the proposed golf course as an opportunity to attract significant economic benefits to the area.
"This is an enormously positive step towards the creation of a revitalized community," said IDA president Tom Ryan, who expressed the community's gratitude. "The provincial government's acknowledgment of its place in the reclamation of the abandoned mine site on this, one of the most fabulous beaches in Nova Scotia the door to unlimited possibilities for us," Ryan said.
The IDA has been working on this project for over five years and recently completed a business plan in which experts refer to the site as one of the best in the world.