Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Kimmirut (Oct 16/00) - Despite the monkey-wrenches thrown in the path of the clean-up of Resolution Island, progress was made during year three of the multi-million dollar project.

Site superintendent Harry Flaherty said that even though a delay and cut to federal funding added a year to the project, the season was successful.

"A lot of work has been done; you can really notice the accomplishments," said Flaherty, an employee of the Qikiqtaaluk Corporation.

As well as repairing significant polar bear damage to the camp and shredding barrels, workers relocated the sewage lagoon and built a new road to a gravel source. Flaherty also said progress was made on developing a training program for workers on contaminated sites.

"We have a document now which says there is a training program identified for each individual who goes on site. It's all the tasks they have to accomplish. That's up and running now," said Flaherty.

A total of 73 people worked on the project during year three. Inuit comprised 85 per cent of the crew. About 20 per cent of the worforce was female.

It is hoped that this workforce will be fully trained and can work on other abandoned DEW-line sites in the Baffin region.

Flaherty said that the clean-up of the furniture dump was completed this season and that much of the PCB contaminated soil was containerized.

Scott Mitchell, the head of DIAND's contaminated sites office, said QC and DIAND are lobbying DIAND's minister for multi-year funding to prevent future delays.

Canada assumed responsibility of the clean-up of the former pole vault site in 1974, two years after it was abandoned by the U.S. Airforce.

As well as lead, asbestos and cobalt, the island located 310 kilometres to the south of Baffin Island has PCB levels 160 times higher (up to 8,000 ppm) than Canadian law allows.