Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 02/00) - The surface cleanup of Giant mine is not proceeding as fast as the federal government had planned, but it is moving ahead.

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development spokesperson Dave Nutter said old transformers and batteries have already been sent south for disposal, but most of the work so far has focused on assessing the work that needs to be done.

"It's going a little slower than we hoped but probably what we had hoped did not include a full appreciation of the work that needed to be done," said Nutter.

Next week results are expected back for tests on soil contaminated by oil.

Testing will also be carried out on tailings on the shore of Back Bay. The tests are to determine if the tailings contain any mercury.

"Sample drilling will be carried out in the next few weeks," said Nutter.

Nutter said the work was delayed by the transfer of ownership of the mine to Miramar. He said the federal government was just about to start on the work when Miramar took over the mine.

The work had to be delayed while the cleanup was co-ordinated with Miramar's mining and exploration plans for the property.

"Before you can actually physically move things around, you have to make sure you know what you're moving, or you could be creating more hazards," Nutter said.

Transformers are also being checked. Ones containing PCBs will be sent south for disposal.

Most of the work is being carried out by the Deton'cho Corporation under a $450,000 contract with DIAND.

Nutter said, under the water licence for the mine, responsibility for developing a plan to deal with the arsenic trioxide dust stored underground rests with Miramar. It is developing that plan with help from the federal government.