Plan fails to clean-up Canada’s Love Canal

OTTAWA -- March 23, 2010 marks the most recent effort to clean up the 700,000 tons of toxic waste that constitute the Sydney Tar Ponds, a hundred acre estuary on Cape Breton Island.  A clean-up plan that was found to be unproven by the joint Federal-Provincial Environmental Assessment Panel, after hearing expert testimony, is now being implemented.

“It is incredibly sad,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May.  “Tens of millions of dollars have been spent in studying how to clean up the tar ponds.  The community is literally sick and tired and simply can’t fight anymore.” 

Essentially, the latest clean-up plan has the toxic mess being encased in concrete.  This involves diverting water flow out of the estuary, de-watering sediments and stirring in concrete, at an estimated cost of $400 million.  Nearby houses that have contaminated basements and backyards are not included in the clean-up.

“The bury-in-concrete solution is called solidification and stabilization and, while used in some toxic waste sites, has never been used on a site with such high organic material and sea water intrusion.” explained May. 

The problem is that the sediment in the tar ponds is about 50% coal, too high of an organic content to bind properly so that the concrete can harden.  Tests have shown that over time, the concrete weakens. 

“Canadians should be ashamed that we have let this toxic horror exist for so long,” said May. “The so-called clean-up could potentially make the health problems of this community worse.  We need a nationwide effort to see this clean-up done properly.”

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