March 22, 1999
(Environment and Labour)

Funding approved for environmental remediation work

Oliver Langdon, Minister of Environment and Labour, announced today that $820,000 has been allocated in the 1999/2000 Budget for further environmental work at six sites in the province.

Funding has been approved for investigation and remediation activities of two former military sites at North West Point and Hopedale in Labrador. Funding has also been approved for investigation of environmental problems at Jerry's Nose and West Bay on the Port au Port Peninsula. These two sites were originally associated with the former U.S. air base in Stephenville.

Funding has also been approved to ship PCBs and PCB contaminated material currently stored in Foxtrap and Baie Verte to an approved destruction facility. This material has accumulated from previous environmental clean-up projects. The material has been held in safe storage and will now be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner.

"Government is committed to environmental protection, conservation and restoration," said Minister Langdon. "This new funding will enable us to undertake various phases of environmental remediation work at each site. The work that is to be done at these six sites will lead to improved environmental conditions in these areas."

Media contact: Sean Kelly, Communications, (709) 729-2575.

1999 03 22