The Provincial Government�s release of the Phase III Environmental Site Assessment reports for the former Baie Verte asbestos and Consolidated Rambler mines is another step towards addressing industrial contamination issues at the sites.

"We said we would deal with the health and safety issues at these sites and completing phase three environmental site assessments for each property shows we are following through on our commitments to the people of the Baie Verte Peninsula," said the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Minister of Natural Resources. "This phase of the study shows us the full extent of the industrial contamination around these old mineral processing operations and now we can begin to mitigate them."

Department of Natural Resources officials met with the Baie Verte town council and provided a detailed briefing on the reports at the town council office on March 6.

The reports provide the province with information on how to deal with the industrial contamination around the sites over the next three years. The reports are part of the $10.1 million three-year work program the Provincial Government announced in Budget 2007. The reports will allow the project manager to begin remediation of contaminated soils and then start demolishing dilapidated buildings, removing storage tanks, erecting fencing and other urgent work at the sites.

"Our work program is taking care of health and safety risks at these sites that previous governments would not address," said Minister Dunderdale. "The work program also generates economic activity for local businesses that can bid on supply and service contracts that will be let under the Public Tender Act."

The three phases of the environmental site assessment process studied the former Consolidated Rambler base metal mines and the Baie Verte asbestos mine properties. Unrelated private companies operated each of the mines from the early 1960s to the early 1980s when the operations ceased and reverted back to the Provincial Government. The Baie Verte property was subsequently leased intermittently to a number of successor companies up until the mid-1990s. The former operators did not clean up the sites and regulations in effect when the mines opened did not contain provisions compelling companies to rehabilitate their properties. Legislation now requires mining companies to provide appropriate financial assurances against liabilities associated with rehabilitating their mining properties. This ensures that the Provincial Government is not left with the responsibility for these properties.

In addition to remediation and safety work, the work program includes additional studies including air quality surveys in the town of Baie Verte that will begin this year. The Phase III Environmental Site Assessment reports are available online at www.nr.gov.nl.ca/mines&en.

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Media contact:

Corey Snook
Communications and Marketing Manager
Department of Natural Resources
709-729-5777, 728-2837
CoreySnook@gov.nl.ca

2008 03 07                                                      12:20 p.m.