Tenders called for tar pond material processing facility
Sydney - The Sydney Tar Ponds
Agency has announced the tender for
a material processing facility beside
the north tar pond. The building,
which will take about a year to complete,
will be used to grade, sort and
wash construction debris from the
cleanup of contaminated sites.
"This is the first of 10 tenders we
plan to announce over the next year
and a half," said Frank Potter, president
of the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency.
"The agency and design engineer are
working hard to meet this schedule.
Although there are outside factors
that can have an impact on some tendering
dates, we are working diligently
to finish this cleanup by our
2014 completion date."
After the material has been
cleaned at the processing facility, it
will be disposed of at an approved
landfill, returned to the tar ponds for
treatment, or recycled.
Along with processing material,
the facility will have a contractor's
compound to house trailers and
heavy equipment. Workers will have
access to shower facilities, office
space, a lunchroom and a parking
area.
The facility will also serve as a
washing area for vehicles leaving the
project area.
"This will be a hub of activity during
peak construction times and is
designed to meet those demands,"
said Potter.
Most contract requirements are
expected to be filled locally. The cost
of construction is about $9 million.
A second tender will be issued to
operate and maintain the facility, as
well as decommissioning it when
cleanup is complete.
The government of Canada and
province of Nova Scotia signed a
Final Cost-Share Agreement in 2004,
committing to jointly participate in
the cleanup of the Sydney Tar Ponds
and Coke Ovens sites. The agreement
specifies that the sites be remediated
over eight years, ending in 2014. The
federal government agreed to contribute
up to $280 million and the
provincial government's contribution
is $120 million.
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