Steam will soon be rising from tar ponds site

Cape Breton Post
Fri., Feb. 22, 2008

Sydney - People travelling near the Sydney tar ponds over the next few weeks may see some steam rising from the site.

The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency announced Thursday that the cooling pond project is more than 50 per cent complete and contractors are preparing to manage ice that accumulated over the cooling pond this winter.

The method selected is adding Quicklime — a non-combustible and odourless material — to the ice pile over a three-week period. Quicklime was selected as an effective melting agent because it reacts vigorously with water, generating a significant amount of heat to melt the ice, the agency said in a release. Throughout the melting process, the public will see non-hazardous steam rising from the site. All sediment will be captured and returned to the cooling pond to be solidified and stabilized.

The controlled melting activity will continue only when prevailing weather conditions are acceptable. As with all construction activities, the agency’s comprehensive air monitoring program is in effect and will continue as the work proceeds.