INAC: CAM-D Simpson Lake Remediation Contract Awarded to Nunavut Firm

Iqaluit, Nunavut –(June 1, 2009) – The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians, and the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, today announced Kudlik Construction as the successful bidder for the $18 million CAM-D Simpson Lake remediation project.”Remediation of contaminated sites in Nunavut is paramount to the health and safety of Nunavummiut and the protection of the environment,” said Minister Strahl. “With sub-contract work and other employment prospects for businesses and the people of Nunavut, this project will provide economic opportunities while restoring the land.”

“Small and medium-sized businesses drive our economy and we are ensuring the federal bidding process remains accessible and fair to all companies, large and small, right across the country,” said Minister Paradis. “This Government is leveraging unprecedented investments to kick-start our economy and get communities back on their feet while ensuring that taxpayers get the accountability and transparency they expect and deserve.”

CAM-D Simpson Lake is located approximately 80 kilometres west of Kugaaruk. The U.S. government constructed a Distant Early Warning (DEW) line site at the location in the 1950s. The site was turned over to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in the 1970s.

Public Works and Government Services Canada, on behalf of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, posted the CAM-D Simpson Lake request for proposal on MERX, the Government of Canada’s contracting website. Bids were evaluated based on their technical approach, the qualifications of the managerial team, and the proposed benefits to Inuit. As a part of the contract, Kudlik Construction committed to Inuit employment levels of 51 per cent and Inuit sub-contracting levels of 89 per cent. The contractor is scheduled to begin mobilizing for the remediation work this year. CAM-D Simpson Lake is a two-year remediation project followed by a 25-year monitoring plan.

This release is also available on the Internet at www.inac.gc.ca

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BACKGROUNDER

CAM-D Simpson Lake

The CAM-D Simpson Lake site is located approximately 120 kilometres south of Taloyoak and 80 kilometres west of Kugaaruk. The site is landlocked and not directly accessible by sea-lift. There is an airstrip, which is accessible for most of the year. Airplanes equipped with floats may land on Simpson Lake during the short summer. The site is situated exclusively on Crown land, although Inuit Owned Lands are present to the north, east and west of the site.

The U.S. military constructed the CAM-D DEW Line site in 1957 and abandoned the site in 1963. In 1965, responsibility for the site was turned over to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).

In the summer of 2005, a comprehensive environmental site assessment was completed. A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for the proposed activities has been prepared and the contractor is scheduled to begin project work in the summer 2009, when equipment will be mobilized to the general area by sea. Over the winter of 2009-2010, the equipment will be moved to the CAM-D site using an overland seasonal route. Construction will be carried out in the summers of 2010 and 2011. A 25-year monitoring plan will be implemented after the site clean-up is completed.

Why is it a contaminated site?

The CAM-D site consisted of a module train, warehouse, garage, Inuit house, fuel tanks, Quonset huts, storage pads, a radar tower and two airstrips. At the time of the site assessment, only the garage and the fuel pump house were standing – all other buildings had been removed, demolished or collapsed. The soil is contaminated with heavy metals, hydrocarbons and PCBs, and hazardous and non-hazardous debris (including asbestos and more than 6,000 barrels) are scattered around the site.

What will be done to remediate the site?

A total of approximately 371 m3 of contaminated soil was identified at the site containing concentrations of metals, PCBs, petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which exceeds the Abandoned Military Site Remediation Protocol. The Tier I contaminated soil (low-level contamination) will be placed as intermediate fill in the non-hazardous landfill and the Tier II (high-level contamination) and PHC-contaminated soil will be shipped off site for disposal. The 1,173 m3 of non-hazardous waste discovered on site will be placed in the non-hazardous landfill. The 114 m3 of hazardous waste will be shipped off-site for disposal.

This backgrounder is also available on the Internet at www.ainc-inac.gc.ca. For more information about Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s Contaminated Sites Program in Nunavut, visit www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/nunavut and select “Land and Environment”.

For more information, please contact

Office of the Minister of Indian Affairs
and Northern Development
Nina Chiarelli
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl
819-997-0002

Office of the Minister of Public Works
and Government Services
Mary-Ann Dewey-Plante
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Christian Paradis
613-218-6961

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Media Relations
819-953-1160

Nunavut Regional Office
Maria O’Hearn
Manager, Communications
867-975-4725

Public Works and Government Services Canada
Media Relations
819-956-2315