Ottawa ready to move ahead on big cleanup
Letter to the editor from Environment Minister David Anderson
Cape Breton Post
Monday, Mar. 31, 2004
Nova Scotia's minister of energy,
Cecil Clarke has asked whether
Ottawa is ready to begin the cleanup
of the Sydney tar ponds. I can
assure him and all residents of Sydney
that the Government of Canada
has been at the table and is committed
to the cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds.
We have been supporting the
province in the remediation and
will continue to do so because it is
the right thing to do.
In fact, on March 23 the federal
budget stated clearly that "an
immediate priority for the government
will be to conclude discussions with
the Government of Nova Scotia and
the city and citizens of Sydney to
establish an effective approach and
a fair division of responsibilities
and costs for the cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds."
In my view, the public does not
want to hear more arguments
between governments. Co-operation
between the federal, provincial and
municipal governments is essential
for an effective solution to this
long-standing issue.
I encourage people who are
involved with this issue at every level
to adopt a spirit of co-operation
so that we can move ahead as quickly as possible.
David Anderson
Minister of the Environment, Ottawa
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