Final Shipment of Soil to Leave Five Island Lake

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--Final Shipment of Soil to Leave Five Island Lake

Beginning July 22 the last shipment of contaminated soil previously stored in transport containers will leave the Five Island Lake area in Halifax Regional Municipality.

"This was a huge project, and a lot of the credit for its success goes to the area residents, the Community Liaison Committee and provincial staff," said Ron Russell, Minister of Transportation and Public Works. "The province has worked closely with the community to develop and implement solutions to the PCB contamination."

The province has spent about $11 million since the mid-1990s collecting, containing and disposing of soils contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and sediments from the Five Island Lake watershed.

The last phase of this current effort will be the removal of the empty containers from the site. The province will continue to monitor the site.

The province has worked closely with the Five Island Lake Community Liaison Committee since 1994, after it was discovered that high concentrations of PCBs were present in fish. It is believed that the contamination was the result of improper disposal of PCBs at a salvage yard.

Mr. Russell said the dredging of sediment in 2001 removed more than 98.5 per cent of the PCBs from the bay.

As a result, and based on recommendations of Nova Scotia's medical officer of health, boaters and swimmers are able to use the north bay of Five Island Lake this summer.

As well, the advisory against eating fish caught in nine local lakes has also been withdrawn. However, the advisory remains in effect for Five Island Lake.