Province's decision to cancel project angers JAG Chair
By Steve MacInnis, Cape Breton Post, January 7, 1999
The chairperson of the Joint Action Group (JAG) is
demanding answers from the Department of Public
Works as to why JAG wasn't consulted over the
cancellation of the coke ovens clean up project.
"There was no advance notice and that's what
amazes us," said Dr. Carl (Bucky) Buchanan.
Buchanan said JAG was consulted on the
problems being created as a result of the project
and worked on solutions to have the work continue.
Then suddenly, without notice, the province
announced last week the project was being
canceled.
"I'm very dismayed at the decision.
The process is
well known and I'm disappointed that this decision
was taken without us being at the table."
The process to which Buchanan refers involves
JAG and its three funding partners - the municipal,
provincial and federal governments. All are
committed to finding a remediation solution to the
Sydney tar ponds and associated sites.
Province keeps JAG in dark
By Beverley Ware / Cape Breton Bureau, Chronicle Herald, January 7, 1999
Sydney - The group charged with cleaning up Sydney Steel's
toxic coke ovens site is dismayed the province didn't consult it
before cancelling a contract for the first stage of remediation.
"I'm a little annoyed," said Carl Buchanan, chairman of the Joint
Action Group. "I'm trying to find out why the decision was taken.
We were not consulted."
The Department of Transportation and Public Works cancelled a
$400,000 contract with Philip Environmental Atlantic on
Christmas Eve. The company began dismantling equipment
used by Sysco's former coking operation in June, but some
Frederick Street residents say they got sick after the soil was
disturbed.
The province halted work to allow for air monitoring.
Gary Campbell, the department's director of enterprise
development, told this newspaper last week Philip was "getting
edgy" with its equipment left idle on site. He said it didn't make
sense to continue paying for the equipment while environmental
studies are still ongoing.
Because JAG's committee had agreed work should begin on
cleaning up the site, contaminated with heavy metals,
polychorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and
sulphur, Mr. Buchanan said it is "very important you have us part
of the decision to stop or at least to be given the reasons why it
was pulled.
"All our committees deserve to know why there is a cease in
operations."
Transportation representative Wilf Kaiser was to attend a
meeting of JAG's site security meeting in Sydney on Wednesday
night to explain the department's action and what it means to the
future of the cleanup effort.
Until now, there has been good co-operation between the federal
and provincial governments and JAG, Mr. Buchanan said.
"The Joint Action Group is anxious to see what steps will be
taken in the near future as to the environmental cleanup of the
," which includes the coke ovens and
Sydney tar ponds.
JAG has concerns about cancelled contract
Return to Main Page
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home Page