By Tanya Collier MacDonald
Cape Breton Post
Tues., Oct. 8, 2003
Shopping carts, railway ties,
cable, and other junk are slowing
down clean up efforts at the
Domtar tank in Whitney Pier.
"It's taking much more time
than we would have expected,
said Walter van Veen, project
manager for cleanup efforts at
the Sydney tar ponds and coke
ovens site. "We frequently have
to stop the operation to free the
material."
van Veen said the debris is
clogging screens surrounding
the pumps sucking the goo out
of the tank to waiting tanker
trucks travelling to a licenced
incinerator in Quebec to burn
the material. About 1,000
tonnes of coal tar oil is being removed.
It was anticipated by contractors
Clean Harbors Canada
Ltd. of Guelph, Ont., that the
work, which began in August,
would be completed by the end
of October. Now it will likely be
January before the work is
done.
van Veen said it's hard to
predict what would be inside
the tank because so many people
had access to it. There was
a ramp that went to the lip of
the structure until several
years ago. It provided easy
entry for those wishing to dispose
of the objects, he added.
The ramp was removed
because it was creating a health
and safety issue for those using
it.
Once the sludge and tar is
removed, contractors will reach
a solid layer of material sitting
at the bottom of the tank.
"Then we'll get a good look
at the solids and take samples
of it," said van Veen. Because
of the easy access, consultants
want to make certain there are
no surprises.
"At this point it's a confirmation
of what we believe we know."
Following that, the solids
will be removed and likely disposed
of at a landfill in Sarnia,
Ont. Once the tank is empty, it
will be power-washed inside
and the steel will be chopped up
and recycled, said van Veen.
The contact is valued at $3.6
million.
Air monitoring is ongoing
around the tank as well as the
tank's exhaust, he said.
tcmacdonald@cbpost.com
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