OTTAWA, July 30, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, today announced the award of three contracts under the Port Hope Area Initiative, the federal government's commitment for the safe, long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste in the municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington.
An $86,847,474 contract was awarded to AMEC - CB&I Joint Venture to build the Port Granby Long-Term Waste Management Facility in the Municipality of Clarington. The Port Granby Project will relocate the historic low-level radioactive waste and marginally contaminated soils from an existing waste management facility on the shoreline of Lake Ontario to the new, state-of-the-art facility about a kilometre north of the current site. The contract includes facility construction, waste excavation, construction of a roadway to permit transportation of the excavated material without using municipal roads and restoration of the existing and new facility sites.
As well, two contracts for radiological surveys of properties and road allowances were awarded under the Port Hope Project: one, for $7,245,765, was awarded to ARCADIS Canada Inc. to complete the radiological survey of approximately 800 mainly residential properties to determine which will require remediation. A second contract for $1,576,720 was awarded to Amec Foster Wheeler to carry out investigations on road allowances to assist in determining the presence of low-level radioactive waste.
Quick Facts
- In January 2012, the Minister of Natural Resources announced a Government of Canada investment of $1.28 billion over 10 years for the implementation phase of the PHAI.
- The Port Hope Area Initiative will clean up historic low-level radioactive waste and marginally contaminated soil and safely transport it to two new, engineered above-ground facilities to be built in Port Hope and Clarington.
- The historic waste resulted from radium and uranium processing in Port Hope between 1933 and 1988 by the former Crown corporation Eldorado Nuclear Limited and its private sector predecessors.
Quotes
"Our government is supporting projects that will enhance environmental protection while creating jobs and economic growth in the Port Hope area. This important milestone advances our long-term commitment to clean up historic low-level radioactive waste in the community with safety, security and environmental protection as our top priorities."
Greg Rickford
Canada's Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Port Granby
"I, along with other residents of Clarington, welcome this new contract as an important step by the Government of Canada to restore contaminated lands and return them to a naturalized landscape."
Erin O'Toole
Member of Parliament for Durham
"The awarding of this construction contract is a very positive move for the Municipality of Clarington. It brings with it new jobs and other economic benefits. It also is a crucial step toward environmental remediation of our beautiful landscape."
Adrian Foster
Mayor, Municipality of Clarington
Port Hope
"I have a great deal of interest in the progress of the Port Hope Area Initiative, and I am pleased to see the awarding of these two contracts toward the cleanup and safe long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste. This announcement today represents significant movement on delivering the benefits of this project to the people of Port Hope."
Rick Norlock
Member of Parliament for the Northumberland – Quinte West
"These contracts are welcome news to the citizens of Port Hope and move this major environmental remediation project forward. They will bring jobs and economic opportunity to our region."
Bob Sanderson
Mayor, Municipality of Port Hope
Related Products
- Backgrounder – Port Hope Area Initiative
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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
For further information: Media may contact: Alexandra Lemieux, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, Ottawa, 613-996-2007, orMedia Relations, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, 613-992-4447; The general public may contact: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT, Telephone: 613-995-0947, E-mail: [email protected]
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