Sydney Landfill Closure Contract Awarded

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--Sydney Landfill Closure Contract Awarded

An important step has been taken toward the cleanup of the former Sydney coke ovens and tar ponds sites. J & T Van Zutphen Construction Inc., a Port Hood-based company, has begun to close the old Sydney landfill that sits above the coke ovens site and, further downstream, the tar ponds.

The work now underway includes limited grading of the existing waste material, filling where necessary, capping the site and diverting a brook that passes though the landfill.

Residents of Sydney have made it clear they want the landfill closed and capped before work can begin on a cleanup of the properties below it. The contract award is a direct result of a resolution of the Joint Action Group (JAG) and driven by the government partners involved.

"It's the kind of thing we have been telling people to expect," says Dan Fraser, JAG chair. "It shows this process is moving in the direction we all want, toward a cleanup."

As the contracting agency, the province's Sydney Tar Ponds/Coke Ovens Cleanup Agency will oversee the project in conjunction with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and the project management consultant.

"This is really just the beginning of an exciting new stage in the overall cleanup project," said Bob Fowler of the cleanup agency. "We are about to see action on several levels that will show the people of Sydney that this cleanup is at a pivotal point."

Landfill capping involves:

• placement of a soil cover with a low-seepage clay barrier;
• a drainage system to capture water seeping into the cover;
• a leachate collection system to capture leachate seeping out of the side of the landfill; and
• a gas collection system.

Gas and liquid runoff will be managed with a long-term maintenance plan. This type of closure has proven to be an effective and environmentally sound method of managing landfills around the world.

A barrier wall will be constructed between the landfill and what is known as the MAID pond. This is a pond located at the southeast corner of the landfill. Capping the landfill, diverting the brook and separating the MAID pond from the landfill will prevent the exchange of material between landfill and brook and reduce the volume of leachate produced.

The landfill contains nearly a hundred years of residential and industrial waste. The closure contract will cost $9.9 million and is included in the $62-million cost-shared agreement between the three levels of government.

J & T Van Zutphen will employ approximately 13 people on the landfill. The work will be completed by the end of next year.