Tar Ponds Review Panel Named

A three-member panel has been established to review the proposal from the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency for the remediation of the Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Oven sites.

The appointment of Lesley Griffiths, William Charles and Louis LaPierre to the panel was announced today, Sept. 19. The panel was established on the basis of an agreement signed by Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Labour Kerry Morash and Stéphane Dion, the federal Minister of the Environment for Canada, on July 14.

"These panel members are distinguished professionals whose combined knowledge and experience bring a high degree of expertise to the review," said Mr. Morash. "Under their guidance, the environmental assessment process will continue to move forward in a timely manner."

The agreement required the ministers to appoint a three-member independent panel to conduct public hearings. The agreement also required that all three panel members be cross-appointed by both the federal and provincial governments.

"We took great care in selecting the members for this important review panel," said Mr. Dion. "The joint panel has been given a clear mandate, and I am confident that its findings and recommendations will give us a full understanding of the potential effects of this project and allow governments to make informed decisions."

Ms. Griffiths, the panel chair, is a Halifax-based community planning and environmental consultant. She brings community planning expertise and chair experience from similar environmental assessment panels within Atlantic Canada.

Mr. Charles has had a long and distinguished career as a lawyer, professor and chair of advisory boards within Nova Scotia. He brings legal, administrative tribunal and environmental assessment experience to the panel.

Dr. LaPierre is from Chezzetcook. He currently holds the K.C. Irving Chair in Sustainable Development at the Université de Moncton. Mr. LaPierre brings scientific and previous panel experience to the panel.

On Aug. 30, the ministers released the final guidelines for the preparation of the environmental impact statement and provided them to the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency. The environmental impact statement is expected to be submitted to the joint review panel by Dec. 30.

The panel was established on the basis of an agreement signed by the ministers on July 14. The agreement sets out the rules for conducting the joint review process, the procedures for appointing panel members and the panel's terms of reference. Under the agreement, the panel is expected to undertake a timely and efficient review of the project. Based on the timelines provided for in the agreement, the panel could submit its report to the ministers as early as the end of June 2006.

The full text of the agreement, the environmental impact statement guidelines and other information about the project can be found on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry at www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/index_e.cfm (reference #05-05-8989) and on the provincial Department of Environment and Labour's website at www.gov.ns.ca/enla/ea/tarponds.asp .