Clean-up plan floated for barges
MLA briefed on plans for old NTCL properties
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, November 14, 2016
HAY RIVER
Hay River North MLA Rocky (R.J.) Simpson is feeling a lot better about the preparation by the territorial government for remediating contaminated lands owned or leased by the Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL).
In the legislative assembly on Nov. 2, Simpson said he received a briefing earlier that day from an interdepartmental working group tasked with creating a plan to deal with the environmental eventualities related to NTCL, which is under bankruptcy protection and facing an uncertain future.
Lands Minister Louis Sebert and Environment and Natural Resources Minister Robert C. McLeod were at the briefing, along with a number of senior officials from both departments.
"I'm glad to report that I'm encouraged by the work that the departments are doing, and I want to assure the residents of Hay River that the government isn't just sitting on their hands," said Simpson.
"They're creating and assessing an inventory of sites, preparing for different possible outcomes, and engaging with the appropriate federal agencies."
The MLA said he will continue to press the departments on the issue.
"However, I am now more optimistic and look forward to helping clean up Hay River and create jobs remediating the land in the process," he said.
When contacted by News/North, Simpson said he is pleased the issue is being taken seriously by the GNWT and that there's a unit dedicated to looking into it.
"I know they can't do anything right now because it's still NTCL's land where there may be issues and the government can't just go on there and start testing or start remediation work but I'm glad to see that they're preparing for eventualities," he said.
On Oct. 25, Simpson had expressed concern in the legislative assembly about the contaminated lands, and pointed to the many sites in Hay River's Old Town neighborhood that are strewn with old equipment, rusted barges, derelict buildings and garbage.
The MLA suggested that, if the government didn't take the lead on remediation, those sites would remain in that condition for another generation.
On Oct. 25, Sebert told Simpson it is a complex issue.
"The company is not yet bankrupt," Sebert said, noting a process is underway involving the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, under which NTCL has been operating since earlier this year.
