Tendering For Solidifying, Stabilizing Sediment

The Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Ovens Cleanup has reached a milestone with the tendering of a multi-million-dollar project that will reshape the industrial landscape of the community.

The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency is tendering for the solidification and stabilization of about 700,000 tonnes of Tar Ponds sediment, a process that involves mixing cement and other agents into the contaminated material to change its physical and chemical properties so contaminants are prevented from escaping into the environment.

The successful contractor is also responsible for constructing a channel that allows water from two brooks to pass over the solidified mass and flow into Sydney Harbour.

"The government of Canada and the province of Nova Scotia are committed to cleaning up the Sydney Tar Ponds and this tender call is a solid step in that direction," said Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada.

"This project will not only produce significant environmental benefits, but also economic opportunities for the residents of Cape Breton, including its First Nations peoples."

The cleanup has a local economic benefits program that encourages off-island bidders to include local labour and community involvement in proposals.

"The environmental industry is showing growth in Nova Scotia, throughout Canada and around the globe," said Murray Scott, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

"This project brings some of the world's leading experts in the field of remediation to our doorstep. The project's local economic benefits program encourages these experts to share their knowledge so local residents can benefit now and in the future."

In January 2007, the government of Canada and province of Nova Scotia committed $400 million to ensure the cleanup is completed by 2014.

"Reaching this historic moment required tremendous effort from the community, and the project team that worked tirelessly to bring the cleanup to this point," said Kevin MacDonald, CEO of the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency.

"We are proud to be a part of this important project, and we are eager to see it to the finish."

It's expected that the contract will be awarded in the spring.

The next step is to gain regulatory approval to proceed to full-scale solidification and stabilization. The Department of Environment is the lead regulator for the project, and will review results from pilot work completed in the north and south tar ponds in the fall. Final results from those field tests are expected in early 2009.

The tar ponds project includes a pump-around system that keeps water away from construction areas. It is expected that the pump-around contract will be awarded in early 2009, and work will begin in the spring. A new bridge will also be built to replace the Ferry Street Bridge.

For more information on the Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Ovens Cleanup visit www.tarpondscleanup.ca .