Bidding opens to clean up Giant Mine
Multi-million dollar project includes penalties and rewards for indigenous involvement
Jessica Davey-Quantick
Northern News Services
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Bidding is now open for the Giant Mine remediation project.
Bidding for the contract to clean up Giant Mine opened at the end of last month. - NNSL file photo
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The request for proposals went live at the end of January.
"This is a key milestone for us," said Robert Turek, manager of the environmental services acquisitions team with Public Services and Procurement Canada.
He told Yellowknifer his team is looking for somebody to be the primary contractor for the site - in essence, to take the responsibility for cleaning it up. The remediation project is estimated to cost between $500 and $700 million.
"That's our current estimate for the construction cost associated with the remediation," said Turek. "The exact costs of the remediation phase are still uncertain at this time. We're still scoping the project."
The remediation will include clean-up of approximately 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide left over from the gold extraction process that kept the mine busy between 1948 and 2004. The remediation plan includes long-term containment and management of the arsenic trioxide waste, as well as the demolition and removal of all buildings and the remediation of all surface areas including the tailing ponds.
The project is estimated to take 10 years with the contract expected to be awarded by December of this year.
The contract also includes provisions for aboriginal employment, including a system of financial rewards and penalties for following through on promises to engage with the indigenous community. It also has built-in financial penalties for non-compliance, as well as rewards for exceeding minimums.
"These measures are aimed at maximizing the opportunities for aboriginal businesses and individuals," said Turek. "It's proven successful at encouraging all bidders, not just aboriginal owned firms, to try to maximize the opportunities for subcontractors, employment, to maximize training opportunities, to get skills developed for aboriginal peoples."
He declined to comment on if there are any top contenders for the contract yet. Bids are due by March 16. A bidder's conference is also scheduled for March 7 and 8 in Yellowknife.
