SYSCO liquidator's role in cleanup questioned
By Wes Stewart
Cape Breton Post
Thursday, Mar. 4, 2004
Former steelworkers want the
province to confirm they will
have work in the remediation
of the Sysco site.
Premier John Hamm said
this week he may broaden the
role of the Sysco receivers,
Ernst & Young, in the remediation
of the tar ponds, coke
ovens and Sysco sites.
Workers are worried a plan
by the provincial government
to involve the Sysco receiver
in the remediation of the site
will sidetrack the work they
have been doing all along.
United Steelworkers of
America Local 1064 president
Mike Buchanan said he was
"appalled " by Hamm's
remarks in Wednesday's edition
of the Cape Breton Post.
The premier said he would be
receptive to a broader role for
E & Y given their record on the
speedy demolition of the former steel plant.
The union president has
written Hamm seeking a
meeting to clarify the
province's position.
Crown agency Sydney
Environmental Resources
Ltd.'s board is meeting today
to discuss its budget and is
expected to hear recommendations
on dismantling the tar
ponds incinerator and merging
SERL with Sysco.
"We have a Crown corporation
(SERL) operating since
1991 that we never heard anything
bad about their work
and now they want to bring in
a private company who will
charge a management fee,"
said Buchanan.
"We (the union) represent
SERL employees and we've
done a good job, so why
change it. Members see this as
a deliberate attempt to get rid
of the union, " Buchanan said.
SERL has about 30 people
doing security and asbestos
clean up on the site.
Liberal Sysco critic Manning
MacDonald said E & Y
went into that plant three
years ago with the sole purpose
of liquidating the assets
of the Crown-owned mill.
"Lately they have been given
the expanded role over the
coke ovens," said MacDonald,
who wonders why this is being
done without a tender process.
He figures E & Y has been
paid more than $3 million in
fees from the province.
"Here we have an agency
(SERL) who should be given
the opportunity to do this
expanded work, apparently
the door is being shut on
them."
MacDonald wants to know
if government will insist local
people and contractors are
hired to do the next stage in
the remediation of the site.
wstewart@cbpost.com
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