OTTAWA, September 16, 2004 -- A cultural ceremony was held today to celebrate the completion of the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contaminated soils clean up project at the North Warning System Long Range Radar site in Saglek, Labrador. In recognition of the cooperation and good working partnerships that were forged during this project, members of the local community, representatives from the Labrador Inuit Association and personnel of the Department of National Defence (DND) were present at a ceremony where native elders honoured the site. "The Department of National Defence recognizes the importance of protecting the Labrador environment, and we are very pleased with the successful completion of the project," said National Defence Minister Bill Graham. "Undertakings of this nature contribute to sustainable development and are beneficial to present and future generations. Work has been completed on the cleanup of contaminated soils at Saglek, and the project has now been successfully concluded, one year ahead of schedule." The contaminated soil was excavated and stored in a staging area. In 2003, the soil was transported by ship down the coast of Labrador to Grande Anse, Quebec. From there, the soil was transported to a facility in St. Ambroise, Quebec where a high-temperature incineration treatment process was used to destroy the PCB in the soil. The remediation contractor, Bennett Environmental Incorporated, hired local employees during the project with only the core personnel coming from outside of the area. The Department of National Defence recognized the opportunity to involve Labrador residents to ensure that they shared in the economic benefits from the project. As part of the federal government's Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses, the contract was awarded to Torngait Services Incorporated of Happy Valley-Goose Bay to provide a temporary camp and camp services for the staff working on the site. In a remote setting such as Saglek, the provision of these services was crucial to the health and well-being of personnel and the success of the overall project. This project created approximately 250 direct and indirect jobs over its life span. In the late 1970's the property was transferred to the province of Newfoundland. The North Warning System site was constructed in the 1980's on the site of the former Polevault Line communications station operated by the United States Air Force. Thereafter, DND acquired the property to fulfill its obligations to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) by providing atmospheric surveillance data for Northern Canada and Alaska. Over its life span, the Polevault station had operated using practices and materials acceptable to the practices of the times, including the use of PCB. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Media Liaison Office Department of National Defence (613) 996-2353
