Engineering contract awarded
Details of $30M tar ponds cleanup deal to be finalized
By Tanya Collier Macdonald
Cape Breton Post
Wed., Aug. 30, 2006
Sydney - An international engineering firm is finalizing one of the
largest and most lucrative contracts to come from the tar ponds cleanup.
Earth Tech and local partner CBCL Ltd. will sit down with the Sydney Tar
Ponds Agency next week to wrap-up a $30 million contract that will run
until 2014.
"Right now, Earth Tech is the leading contender," said Frank Potter,
acting chief executive officer. It was one of three competing companies
vying for the contract. A fourth engineering company voluntarily withdrew
from the competition early in the race.
The two-part contract begins with the design of the cleanup of the tar
ponds and coke ovens sites and continues with the firm overseeing the
work, which includes inspection and contract management.
"Whoever we hire for various components, they'll administer the contract
and make sure the contractor is fulfilling its requirements; coming in
within budget and on schedule," said Potter.
The firm will also work to divide the overall project into smaller jobs to
give local companies the ability to compete and benefit from future work.
Evaluators ranked Earth Tech's proposal first in technical merit and local
economic benefits and a close second in price. However, the bid price may
be altered to reflect possible changes in the cleanup project when
provincial and federal governments respond to the Joint Review Panel
Environmental Assessment Report released in July. Governments are now
reviewing those recommendations and plan to respond by December.
In the meantime, and once the contract is signed, the firm will develop a
master health and safety plan, do some administrative work and prepare a
detailed schedule of the project.
"We're absolutely thrilled," said Dave Wilson, a director at Earth Tech
Canada. "It's one of the key projects we're involved in."
The firm has set up shop with local partner CBCL, which has an office at
the corner of Charlotte and Dorchester streets in Sydney.
If the contract isn't settled with Earth Tech, negotiations will begin
with the firm ranked second.
tcmacdonald@cbpost.com
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