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Demolition of the 300-foot northernmost section of the Giant Mine mill conveyor began Wednesday, with a team of reclamation experts from Tervita Corporation disposing of the conveyor's 8,000 square feet of asbestos cladding. - Kevin Allerston/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Dismantling of the northernmost section of the Giant Mine conveyor began Wednesday, with three crew members from Tervita Corporation brought on site from Calgary starting to remove the conveyor's asbestos.

The removal of approximately 8,000 square feet of asbestos exterior cladding is the first step in deconstructing the 300-foot conveyor section connecting the mine's screen house and mill, and is expected to be completed by next week.

Adrian Paradis, acting project manager of the Giant Mine remediation project, said the conveyor must be dismantled because it is a safety hazard to the more than 30 workers on the project.

"Well, that's one of the main pathways for the workers on site. One of the struts and one of the fore beams have been beginning to twist and it's become a safety fall hazard, and it needs to come down," said Paradis. "In a high wind situation the conveyor could start to shift and start to fall."

Dismantling of the rest of the conveyor, built in 1948, is expected to take two to three weeks, according to Paradis, though contractors for the rest of the work have not yet been signed.

Paradis said the total cost of bringing down the section of mill conveyor is expected to be about $300,000.

Although the permit to demolish the section of conveyor was issued March 20, Paradis said the process was delayed until this week because they were missing a piece of equipment.

"It's a long-arm boom and it has to be able to reach 100 feet ... it's just a very specialized piece because it has to reach so far," said Paradis. He said it was being used for construction of the Deh Cho Bridge, which is why the deconstruction was delayed for nearly a month and a half.

The asbestos in the conveyor will be double bagged and disposed of in the mine's northwest tailings pond. Exposure to asbestos can lead to lung ailments.

While the contract for the rest of the deconstruction has not been issued, Paradis said he expects it to be complete within a month.

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