Argentia Remediation Project
 Public
Works and Government Services Canada's mandate in Argentia is to
remediate the former United States Naval Facility to Canadian council
of Ministers of the Environment guidelines and return the property
to the community for redevelopment.
In January 1995, a Full Environmental Assessment of the site commenced
at a cost of 3.5M. Completed in October 1995, the report noted the
areas of concerns in Argentia included hydrocarbon, heavy metals,
organic and PCB concentrations in excess of the guidelines set by
the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment.
The $81M Argentia Environmental Remediation Project began in the
Fall of 1996. Among other projects, it involved the remediation
and demolition of numerous structures, including the 10-storey,
concrete Combined Bachelor's Quarters (www.cfog.net),
which was imploded in November 1999; the removal of 16 underground
concrete and steel tanks at the Northside Bulk Fuel Farm (NBFF),
an area used by the Americans for fuel storage mainly for the Northside
Power Plant; and the Northside Power Plant, built to withstand a
bomb, which was taken down in 2001. Remediation has also included
the construction of several massive projects including a Secure
Landfill to house hazardous materials, and the installation of a
seawall at Southside Landfill #1 to address potential leachate concerns
in that area.
In April 1999, PWGSC took the first step in this when the Department
transferred the Southside and Backlands portion of the facility
to the Argentia Management Authority (AMA), a local community group
established in 1995 by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(ACOA) to redevelop the former Base. The AMA have since opened an
industrial park on the Southside.
Transfer of the remaining Government of Canada property in Argentia
including the Northside and Port Facilities was completed in January
04, 2002.
|
