Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Resolution Island (Sep 02/02) - The contaminated earth collected on Resolution Island this season will remain on the beach in storage containers until next year.

Cleanup crews vacuum soil off the rocks in what used to be one of Resolution Island's most contaminated areas. - Christine Kay/NNSL photo

Laced with polychlorinated biphenyls, the soil was slated to be barged off this season. But none of the toxic soil has been taken off the island since the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation started sending cleanup crews to Resolution in 1997.

"None of these soils are going to be shipped this year. It's a little disappointing," said site superintendent Harry Flaherty.

The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development said the soil will stay due to contracting issues.

"We would not have been able to get a ship in until October. We felt it would be a high-risk operation with the condition in which we would have to transfer the contaminated soil from land to ship," said Stephen Traynor, director of operations for DIAND in Nunavut.

There are more than 230 containers of contaminated soil on the island, home to a U.S. military base until it was abandoned in 1972.

Workers spent the summer vacuuming soil off the rocks and storing it in waterproof containers. The containers are built to last up to 15 years.

The soil collected in 2000 is stored in containers that don't meet this specification.

"It's a lot of work to put them in new containers next year. They're probably frozen solid. We'll have to thaw them first," said Flaherty.

The site's scientific adviser, Graham Cierans, said studies indicate that PCBs are potential carcinogens.

Besides cleaning up contaminated soil, the crew is incinerating abandoned oil, fuel and grease found in barrels.

"It will take another three years, probably. With the experienced crew on site, it's optimistic. If another crew took over, it would take them five years," said Cierans.

There is still much work to do and the whole project is behind schedule. Despite the setback, work is reportedly going well and many who have participated promise to be there until it is complete.

"With so many organizations involved, it's amazing everyone knows how it's suppose to be done. It runs smoothly. I will surely come back every year until it's done," said Cierans.

Traynor said DIAND will try to have a contract in place by January to allow the soil to be shipped off the island on the first barge next year.