No. A007/04 For release - October 26, 2004
GANDER, NL — Transport Canada has recently awarded a $953,640 contract to Piercon Ltd. from Gander, NL for environmental remediation work at the Gander International Airport. The work will be carried out this fall and involves the environmental remediation of eight (8) sites along the Trans Canada Trail on the Airport property. The contract award was announced by Scott Simms, MP for Bonavista-Gander-Grand Falls-Windsor, on behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre.
"Many people within the community use Gander International Airport lands - such as the Trans Canada Trail network and the Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest - for recreational purposes," said Mr. Simms. "This project will help ensure that all areas of the Gander International Airport that can be accessible to the public meet all required environmental guidelines".
The project will ensure the portions of the Trans Canada Trail situated on the airport meet environmental guidelines for residential/parkland use. Work to be carried out includes removal and disposal of soil contaminated with hydrocarbons. Monitoring programs will also be put in place at various sites along the trail to ensure the land continues to be safe for public use. The contract work is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2004.
"This environmental remediation project for the Gander International Airport demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to managing its contaminated sites in a responsible, timely and efficient manner," said Minister Lapierre.
The total estimated cost for the remedial work on the Trans Canada Trail this year is $1.4 million. In addition to this work, the Government of Canada is investing $3 million toward another environmental remediation project on the airport, for a total of $4.4 million of environmental work at Gander International Airport this year. The other project involves the removal and disposal of PCB contaminated soil at a former Remote Radar Site at Gander International Airport, including: the shipment of the contaminated soil to an appropriate disposal facility in mainland Canada, the placement of clean soil over appropriate areas of the site, the removal of remaining site infrastructure such as an old septic tank, a drainage system, piping etc., and the continued monitoring of the site over the next several years to ensure there are no residual ecological impacts. Transport Canada also carried out an $850,000 remediation program over the summers of 2001, 2002 and 2003 at six (6) other sites at the airport.
Since it started operation in 1939, Gander International Airport has been used as a supply base for the military and later as a fuel stop for trans-Atlantic flights. These activities resulted in contamination at some sites at the airport property, mainly in the form of hydrocarbons.
While operational and managerial control of the airport was transferred to the Gander International Airport Authority in March 2001, Transport Canada retains ownership of the property and retains a responsibility for historical contamination at the site i.e. for contamination that occurred prior to the transfer agreement.
– 30 –
Contact:
Maurice LandryCommunications(506) 851-7562
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
