JAG has concerns about cancelled contract
Beverly Ware, The Halifax Chronicle Herald, January 8, 1999
Sydney The Joint Action Group still has a few questions
for the provincial government over the contract it
cancelled with a company that was to do the initial
cleanup of the former Sydney Steel coking site.
A representative of the Department of Transportation and
Public Works met Wednesday with members of the group
that was to clean up the coke ovens and tar ponds, but
JAG chairman Carl Buchanan said he still has some
unanswered questions.
He has set up a meeting with department officials in
Sydney next week.
The province cancelled a contract with Philip
Environmental Atlantic on Christmas Eve. The company's
work on dismantling equipment and moving piles of coal
was halted in June following complaints by some area
residents that they got sick after the soil was disturbed.
The department said it didn't make sense to pay for
equipment to sit idle while the federal and provincial
governments conducted environmental studies.
Public Works spokesman Wilf Kaiser told members of
JAG's site security committee on Wednesday that work
won't resume until all environmental assessments have
been completed. Mr. Buchanan said he doesn't know
what those studies are or how extensive they'll be.
Some assessments take three years, which he said would
leave JAG unable to fulfil its agreement with the three
levels of government to clean up the toxic site. "I want to
know what we're talking about here and what kind of
indepth studies we're dealing with."
Mr. Buchanan said this week he was upset the
department cancelled the contract without consulting
JAG. He said all decisions must be made jointly.
Public Works spokeswoman Janet Bryson said any
decision to resume work will be made in consultation with
JAG. But that will be after the completion of assessments
by the federal and provincial departments of health
and environment.
It will be a "slow process," she conceded, but no
decisions will be made without JAG's input.
Frederick Street resident Juanita McKenzie has said she
hopes the work stoppage means the province sees a link
between the toxins and area residents' health. She said
she doesn't want any more work done until the residents
have been moved.
"At this time, there are no plans to relocate residents," Ms.
Bryson said.
JAG Coordinator to leave group
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