For immediate release
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, April 16, 2010 – The Honourable Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation and Member of Parliament for Durham, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, today announced a contract worth more than $10 million in relation to the long-term historic low-level waste management facility in Port Granby, Ontario. The contract was awarded to AECOM Canada Ltd. of Markham, Ontario.
AECOM Canada Ltd. will complete a detailed design of the long-term waste management facility, design the associated supporting infrastructure and plan the remediation of the existing waste management facility, and oversee the construction phase of the project. Design work will begin right away. Construction is expected to start in 2012 subject to government regulatory approvals.
"The Government of Canada is committed to the clean-up and safe long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste in the Port Granby area," said Minister Oda. "We're happy to work with our partners, Natural Resources Canada, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and this region. Today's announcement marks the latest milestone in the Government of Canada's efforts to fulfill its environmental obligations in southeast Clarington."
"Public Works and Government Services Canada is working hard with our partners on the Port Hope Area Initiative," said Minister Ambrose. "The Government of Canada has shown a real commitment to get this project moving forward. This is a positive step towards improving the Port Granby area."
The design work will be funded under the Port Hope Area Initiative, which includes remediation initiatives in the municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is the federal department responsible for the Port Hope Area Initiative. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited has been designated by NRCan as the proponent and has overall responsibility for the project, and Public Works and Government Services Canada serves as the lead department on all major contracts. The construction, operation and long-term maintenance and monitoring of the facilities will be carried out in accordance with licensing conditions and approvals received from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
"The CNSC will continue to make sure that the health of the citizens of Clarington and their environment are protected," said Michael Binder, abbr title="Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission">CNSC President.
"The announcement of this contract is good news for the residents of Port Granby and the surrounding communities," said Jim Abernethy, Mayor of Clarington. "This contract brings us one step closer to the environmental cleanup we need, as promised by the federal government."
In 2001, the Government of Canada signed a legal agreement with the municipalities of Clarington and Port Hope that led to the Port Hope Area Initiative. The historic low-level radioactive waste originated from radium and uranium refining activities dating back to the 1930s in the Port Hope area.
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For further information, the media may contact:
Chris Hilton
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Public Works and Government Services
613-697-7324
Email: Chris.Hilton@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
613-992-4447
Bob Neufeld
Manager, Stakeholder Relations and Communications
Port Hope Area Initiative Management Office
905-885-6197
Email: neufeldr@aecl.ca
You can also visit the PWGSC Web site at http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/index-eng.html.
BACKGROUNDER
Port Hope Area Initiative – Port Granby Project
The Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) is a federally-sponsored project to clean up historic low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) situated in the municipalities of Clarington and Port Hope.
The historic waste resulted from radium and uranium processing in Port Hope between 1933 and 1988 by the former Crown Corporation, Eldorado Nuclear, and its private-sector predecessors. The Port Granby Project consists of the remediation and closure of an existing storage site and the construction of a new waste management facility to receive the existing waste, of which there is approximately 500,000 cubic metres.
Following the closure of waste management facilities in Port Granby and Port Hope in 1988, the federal government sought a solution for the long-term management of the waste for a number of years without success. In 1997 and 1998, the municipalities came forward with local proposals to manage the waste within their own borders. This led to the signing of a Legal Agreement between the Government of Canada and the municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington in 2001, which formed the basis of the Port Hope Area Initiative for the remediation and safe long-term management of the historic LLRW.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is the project sponsor for the PHAI. NRCan appointed Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) as its project proponent in 2001. AECL has managed the environmental assessment and licensing activities since PHAI's inauguration. In 2008, NRCan appointed Public Works and Government Services Canada to be its major contracting authority. The parties are carrying out these roles within the framework of a new organization called the PHAI Management Office (PHAI MO).
The plan to clean up and manage the long-term storage of the waste was divided into three phases. Phase 1 included environmental assessments and licensing. Phase 2, the implementation phase, is the remediation of the contaminated sites and construction of the new facilities in Port Granby and Port Hope. Phase 3 entails the long-term maintenance and monitoring of the facilities. All three phases are to be completed in accordance with licensing conditions and approvals received from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. The PHAI is currently in transition between Phases 1 and 2.
The Port Granby Project consists of the remediation and closure of an existing storage site and the construction of a new waste management facility to receive the existing waste.
