Cleanup Camera Goes Live

The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency has launched a live video feed from the Coke Ovens that can be viewed on the Internet.

A camera, called the Cleanup Cam, mounted on a utility pole at the compound used by vehicles entering and leaving the site, continuously scans the grounds of the Coke Ovens. It takes about a minute to do a complete sweep of the site in each direction.

"When workers begin re-routing Coke Ovens Brook this summer, we want people to be able to watch the work for themselves," said Frank Potter, director of operations for the agency.

"It's yet another illustration of our commitment to carry out the cleanup with exemplary candour and openness."

Internet users can access the Cleanup Cam by going to www.TarPondsCleanup.ca and clicking on the Cleanup Cam icon at the bottom left of the page. They can also view a animated video showing how the cleanup will be carried out, and download a description of the project and the draft scope of the environmental assessment.

"The Cleanup Cam can only support 16 simultaneous connections, so for the first few days, people may have to try a few times to connect with the image," Mr. Potter said.

If viewers are really lucky, they may catch sight of a fox that makes his home on the site. The camera images will be viewable anywhere in the world, and Mr. Potter believes this will serve another purpose.

"There has been so much controversy about the Tar Ponds, some people in the rest of Canada have a false impression of Sydney as a horrible, pollution-ridden place," Mr. Potter said. "We think people will be pleasantly surprised when they actually view our sites for themselves."

The agency plans to install a second Cleanup Cam at the Tar Ponds later this year. It will likely be located on the Ferry Street bridge, a position from which it will be able to scan both of the ponds.

The Cleanup Cam and the Tar Ponds Agency website were developed and are maintained by MediaSpark, a Sydney-based information technology and software development company.