Who's reponsible for tar ponds mistakes if not engineers, experts?

Letter by Debbie Ouellette
Cape Breton Post
Sat., Feb. 21, 2009

A few weeks ago, we heard there were more problems at the tar ponds project. The barrier wall that was built at the mouth of the tar ponds used material that did not meet specifications. Why wasn't the first truckload of this material stopped before the project began? Why was it allowed to finish using the wrong materials? It may cost $1 million to fix this problem. There was also a problem with another barrier wall on the coke ovens site that didn't meet quality control standards. Why are problems like these allowed to happen? The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency pays an independent engineer with Conestoga-Rovers to oversee the project, as well as many other engineers and consultants and "experts," yet this is allowed to happen. Who is responsible for these expensive mistakes? Does anybody know what's going on over there?

Debbie Ouellette
Sydney