JAG efforts outlined
Rotarians learn about
problems facing environmental group
BY TANYA COLLIER
Cape Breton Post
A cleanup o the and area will take time and patience
say members of the Joint Action Group (JAG).
During a Sydney Rotary meeting Tuesday, members of the service club were
given an outline of efforts by the local environmental group.
Carl (Bucky) Buchanan, Chairman of JAG, was one of three members who attended
the discussion.
"I feel a little like a mosquito at a nudist colony -- I'm really glad
to be here but I don't know where to begin."
Buchanan said JAG is made up mostly of volunteers trying to find a solution
to a controversial and emotional problem.
They are presently evaluating 250 technologies that could assist the government
and community in the project.
Mike Britten, program coordinator for JAG, gave an outline of the technical
aspects of the cleanup.
There are 700,000 tonnes of sludge contaminated with cancer causing PAGs
and at least 50,000 tonnes of that sludge contains PCBs. Britten
said the chemical cocktail is well mapped out due to previous attempts
to clean up .
In 1996, JAG conducted a complete study of what goes into the tar ponds
and what goes out. They learned 3.5 million gallons of raw sewage
is travelling into the site. As the sewage passes through the tar
ponds and into the harbor, it's bringing tar pond contaminants with it.
JAG is finalizing tenders to construct an $8 million sewage collectof for
35 sewar outfalls so the waste can bypass the tar ponds.
Another small tributary running into the tar ponds is Coke Ovens Brook.
A lot of the material from the old municipal landfill site is leaching
into the brook each time it rains. Britten said JAG had nine wells
dug at the base of the landfill site to learn what contaminants are being
filtered into the tar ponds via the brook.
"We are at the last phase of the study but results show contaminants are
weak to moderate. Coliform is almost zero.
The results may be low due to fires erupting from a buildup of methane
that is subsequently sterilizing the material in the landfill, concluded
Britten. The problem is, there are smoldering plastics and fumes
being emitted into the air.
An area that was recently added to JAGs mandate is the coke oven site.
Britten said they have to be cautious when cleaning up the decommissioned
industrial location.
He did note bedrock at the coke ovens is fractured and the fault line is
parallel to Frederick Street in Whitney Pier. One one side of the
bedrock the water is crystal clear, but the other side is filled with contaminants
and changes color three times a year. Britten said the fault line
must be acting as a barrier.
There are also about 100 miles of underground pipeline that hasn't been
purged. Britten said he believes there are underground materials
and chemicals that, when exposed to the air, could burn. If other
contaminants are added to the mixture, there could be an explosion, he
said.
During a visit to the site, Britten said he witnessed small bursts of fire
coming from underground.