Environment and Conservation
August 1, 2012
Service NL Proceeding with Removal of Englee Fish Plant
The Provincial Government is moving ahead with the removal of the Englee fish plant and remediation of the site.
“We have been working closely with the town of Englee and a number of government departments to resolve this issue,” said the Honourable Paul Davis, Minister of Service NL. “The property owner has failed to act responsibly and has been unwilling to address the issue of this abandoned building. In order to ensure the safety of the public and to maintain safe road access within the community, the Provincial Government is moving forward with the removal of the building as soon as possible.”
Service NL issued orders under section 99 of the Environmental Protection Act. These orders required the removal of the plant and remediation of the site. There has been no compliance with these orders to date.
Service NL has continued to work closely with the Departments of Justice, Municipal Affairs, Environment and Conservation, Transportation and Works, and Fisheries and Aquaculture, as well as the Town of Englee in an attempt to resolve the matter. The Environmental Protection Act requires that, in cases such as this, abandoned properties must be either maintained in safe condition or removed by the parties responsible.
“The Provincial Government is acting in the interest of public safety for the people of Englee,” said the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Environment and Conservation. “However, we will not sit by and allow the responsible parties to wash their hands of their obligations under the act. In this case, the plant owners have neglected their environmental responsibilities and this government will pursue all possible legal avenues at its disposal.”
New information provided by the town indicates that the building has recently undergone noticeable deterioration with sections of the roof separating, a part of the building beginning to lean towards the road access for an area of the community, as well as further slippage of the structure into the harbour.
An environmental science and engineering consulting firm will be undertaking an assessment of the facility. In addition, the Provincial Government, in conjunction with the Town of Englee, has taken steps to secure the facility and the affected roadway, and will be maintaining security personnel on site until such time as the public safety hazard has been rectified.
“We have been working closely with the Provincial Government on this issue for some time,” said Rudy Porter, Mayor of Englee. “We are pleased to see the placement of security onsite and to see government stepping in here in the absence of the responsible owners, to protect the people of Englee.”
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Media contacts:
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Hugh Donnan Director of Communications Service NL 709-729-4860, 725-6511 hughdonnan@gov.nl.ca |
Melony O’Neill Director of Communications Department of Environment and Conservation 709-729-2575, 689-0928 moneill@gov.nl.ca |
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Rudy Porter Mayor Town of Englee 709-866-2711 rporter2121@hotmail.com |
2012 08 01 9:30 a.m.