Ben Morgan
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 16, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Clean-up operations at the Giant Mine site topped the agenda at the city council's special session last Thursday.

City councillors discussed their concerns for a submission to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB) regarding the Giant Mine Remediation clean-up project.

Mayor Gordon Van Tighem said the city's primary concern is to ensure public safety and to reclaim the land around the site in the best possible condition.

An estimated 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide remains at the site in large underground chambers.

The cleanup will cost an estimated $350 million. The idea is to freeze the contamination in place - a process that will take 35 years to complete - buying time for future technologies to find a more permanent solution. The mayor agreed this is a kind of time-capsule concept.

The environmental assessment goes to public hearings on July 22 and 23.

Kam Lake Road improvements

Repair work will start on a section of Kam Lake Road that dips between Kam Lake and Grace Lake on a tight corner in a few weeks.

The city has hired Ace Enterprises Ltd to install a larger culvert under the roadway and straighten the road. The work is expected to cost $485,000.

Spring runoff has caused the section of road to wash out in the past, causing a problem with fish migration between the two lakes.

The city has received complaints from both the general public and local contractors regarding the existing driving conditions. The section of road is exposed to heavy truck traffic and construction equipment which poses a concern for public safety.

The new culvert will be eight feet high - large enough to allow for the passage of snow machines and dog mushers in the winter.

Water and sewer work to begin

A contract has been awarded to NWT Construction Ltd. for work on a water main and a sewer re-grade. The contract is valued around $700,000.

Located by Rat Lake near Bison Apartments on 52 Street has settled due to a reduction of permafrost in the area.

The sewer work will be undertaken along a section near the Racquet Club.

The sewer system has sagged, often causing unpleasant odours during the summer months.

Work is slated to begin in a few weeks and is scheduled to be finished by early November.