Contract Awarded for Completion of Remedial Action Evaluation Report

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--Contract Awarded for Completion of Remedial Action Evaluation Report

A big step toward the final cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds and coke ovens has been taken with the awarding of a $575,000 contract.

CBCL, an international engineering firm with a long-standing presence in Sydney, has been hired to produce a document known officially as the Remedial Action Evaluation Report, or RAER. This report will provide Sydney residents with the big picture for the final cleanup -- what technologies will work and the pros, cons, time-frame and price tag for each.

This report is what the community, through the Joint Action Group (JAG), will use in deciding which cleanup solution it will recommend to governments. It is expected to completed by late 2002. The RAER will also be integral to drafting the cleanup plan that goes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency for approval.

"The Remedial Action Evaluation Report will be invaluable in our efforts to go out to the community to seek its opinions on technology selection," said JAG chairman Dan Fraser.

Frank Potter, director of operations for the province's Sydney Tar Ponds Agency said, "This is a major step forward as we continue to work toward awarding a cleanup contract in 2004."

The RAER report will take into account the following work.

• Phase II and III studies, which profile all chemicals present, their volume, characteristics and areas of potential impact. This is key information to ensure that any environmental and health issues associated with site cleanup are addressed. Phase III for the tar ponds is now being completed, as is Phase II for the coke ovens site.

• Results of bench-scale studies being managed by Vaughan Engineering Ltd. Those studies will be used to confirm which technologies can effectively treat the complex mix of chemicals at the sites. The bench-scale results are expected by early 2002.

• A detailed review of work done on similar sites elsewhere around the world.

CBCL employs 22 people in its Sydney office.

"The CBCL Limited team is pleased to be awarded this project," said project manager Dan MacDonald.

The RAER is part of the $62-million federal-provincial-municipal agreement that covers all of the preparatory studies and work leading to the award of a final clean-up contract.