The Provincial Government takes the issue of contaminated site remediation very seriously and we committed to assess and clean up specific sites in Newfoundland and Labrador, one of which is the Town of Buchans. Based on environmental testing, along with the concerns raised by residents, we made a commitment to immediately address health and safety issues associated with the former Abitibi mine site. I am pleased to rise today to provide an update on our remediation efforts in Buchans.

This past Friday, we awarded a contract to P & B Trucking & Rentals Inc. of Springdale for the remediation and capping of the tailings spill and mucky ditch areas in Buchans. Tenders for this work closed on June 14, and the company was the successful bidder at a costing of approximately $3.1 million. This significant piece of work will now get underway, and should be completed by early fall.

Based on a call for proposals last winter, contracts totaling $215,000 have also been awarded to the Bae-Newplan Group for the design, contract administration, and onsite supervision of this project. Together with the tailings dam remediation project to be tendered later this summer by the Department of Natural Resources, our government is carrying out its commitment to address the areas of concern in Buchans.

Our efforts will be further complemented by a contract for approximately $75,000 to Conestoga-Rovers and Associates, an environmental consulting firm, for the development of a Risk Management Plan for the town. This plan, will address the residential and public areas in Buchans where concentrations of lead in the soil exceed human health guidelines.

Once the source areas are remediated, and the potential risks associated with the residential impacted soil are managed, the people of Buchans can feel assured that the immediate health and safety concerns from the former mine site have been fully addressed.