Sludge Watch ==> Canada - Sydney Tar Ponds - $400 M plant to bury toxic waste

[Maureen Reilly]

Ottawa and N.S. announce $400-million plan to bury the Sydney tar ponds 
Canadian Press
Sunday, January 28, 2007

* * * * SYDNEY, N.S. (CP) - After decades of study, the federal and Nova 
Scotia governments announced Sunday that the best way to clean up the 
notorious Sydney tar ponds is to bury the whole mess.

Environmentalists and local residents were worried the $400-million project 
would include incinerating some of the toxic sludge, but that won't happen.

Federal and provincial officials say "stabilizing and solidifying" the ponds 
should not hurt the environment or the health of residents - but the 
100-hectare site will be constantly monitored.

"This is a great day for the people of Sydney," federal Public Works 
Minister Michael Fortier said in a statement.

Fortier said the agreement demonstrated the Conservative government's 
commitment to "take concrete, measurable actions on environmental issues."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, facing increasing criticism over his plans to 
deal with climate change, recently appointed a new environment minister and 
announced that the environment is now among his top priorities.

The tar ponds and the former Sydney Steel coke ovens have long been 
considered one of Canada's worst toxic waste sites.

Residents claim that contaminants from the estimated 700,000 tonnes of oily 
goo have caused a slew of illnesses, including elevated cancer rates.

The reeking chemical stew includes raw sewage, polycyclic aromatic 
hydrocarbons, heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs and other toxins.

The two large ponds are surrounded by homes, shopping centres, schools and 
busy roads in the centre of Sydney.

The project should take another seven years to complete. The province will 
contribute $120 million and Ottawa will pick up the rest of the bill.

Nova Scotia's environment minister, Mark Parent, said a risk-benefit 
analysis concluded that containing and capping the contaminated soil is 
"safer, healthier and more cost-effective" than incineration.

"The future cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds and coke ovens sites will be a 
great environmental achievement for Cape Breton," Parent said in a 
statement.

"Today's announcement is one step closer to making that achievement a 
reality."

Before the latest cleanup phase begins, the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency will be 
required to obtain approvals that will contain detailed design, engineering 
and operational plans.