Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 24/00) - People are worried about contamination in the fragile region where a radar station burned to the ground two weeks ago.

Cabins, outpost camps, hunting grounds and an area frequented by migratory birds surround the remains of a North Warning Systems radar station on Victoria Island. "We are very concerned, all we know is environmental scientists and specialists are at the site," said Larry Adjun, chair of the Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers Association and vice-president of the Kitikmeot HTA.

"We're worried about the animals, the geese and muskox, and contamination from feurons and dioxins."

The building housed extensive communication equipment and radar systems. The paint on the walls of the building, built in the 1950s to serve as a Distant Early Warning station, is believed to have contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Feurons and dioxins are released when things containing PCBs burn at low temperatures.

The fire that completely destroyed the Lady Franklin Point radar station was reported to NORAD headquarters in Ontario via satellite on Jan. 10. The decision was then made to let the blaze burn itself out.

The hunting grounds surrounding the site are a three- to four-hour trip by snowmobile or three hours by boat from Kugluktuk.

Last week a 10-member Department of Defence investigation team made several trips to the radar station to examine the burned-out building and to take samples from the areas around the site for contamination testing.

"In the initial impact assessment, it is reported that the fire had a minimal impact to the overall area," said Maj. Paul Garant.

"In 10 to 14 days we'll likely have results from the environmental samples, but right now we're saying the environmental risks are low."

And as for residents in the Kitikmeot community, they will have to wait for further information from the organizations involved in the assessment.

"We're working directly with the Department of Defence and the Environmental Sciences Group," said Stephanie Briscoe, environment manager for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in Cambridge Bay.

"We're still waiting to hear from the inspection team -- they'll provide a full briefing of the environmental damage and contamination."

Briscoe says the area with the highest use is the Locker Point area, which is southwest of the radar site.

Hunting muskox, geese and caribou for sport and domestic use, and commercial and subsistence fishing are the main activities.