Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 07/02) - Significant advances were made recently in a scrap metal recycling project in Rankin Inlet.

Boyd White, the manager of corporate services for the Department of Sustainable Development in Rankin Inlet, said consultants visited the community at the end of June to examine the feasibility of the project.

If it gets the green light, the scrap metal recycling project means that abandoned vehicles and other metals will be cleaned up, removed from the community, and eventually be sold.

"They came in and did some basic research.

"It's very positive. There's lots of scrap metal to pick up," said White. "They're also researching actual freight costs -- what it would cost to get it on a barge to Churchill and then by railway from there."

While the research portion of the initiative is being jointly funded by DSD and the Manitoba government -- the study will cost a total of $25,000, $6,000 of which comes from the GN -- the hamlet of Rankin Inlet also jumped on board the initiative. White said they'd assumed responsibility for crushing up to 15 vehicles and shipping them South.

"There is actually scrap metal being shipped out this year," said White.

"The hamlet is taking care of the vehicle collection and crushing them at no cost to the government."

Once the metal arrives in the South, the consultants will tabulate the costs and issue a report on the feasibility of the project.

The kind of infrastructure and storage needs required for the undertaking as well as local training needs, number of personnel required and the benefits to be gained by recycling the materials will be included in the report.

That document is expected to be complete by November. White also said Coral Harbour expressed some interest in getting involved.

The initiative is a result of a memorandum of understanding the two governments signed earlier this year.