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Refurbishment Environmental Work


Refurbishment Environmental Work is ongoing, including a follow up program required by the environmental assessment approval that was received in August 2003.

The environmental assessment follow up program was formally documented and made available to the First Nations, the general public and regulators for review in 2004.

Following receipt of comments, the program has been finalized and implemented. The follow up program involves 5 areas:

  1. Expanding the existing baseline information for the site
  2. Expanding the existing radiation monitoring programs to incorporate the new facilities at the waste management site
  3. Conducting periodic assessments of the health safety and environmental program associated with the waste management facility
  4. Implementation of a construction environmental protection plan for the refurbishment related construction program
  5. Continuing the public consultation program

As part of baseline monitoring (item 1 above), one round of ground water and surface watersampling has been completed, and a fisheries inventory was undertaken in the fall of 2004.

While the final results will be reported following completion of the entire baseline monitoring program, the following is an interim summary:

  • the results of all the surface water analysis were within Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines (CDWG) (The surface water samples were taken from on-site streams close to the waste management facility)
  • a few of the groundwater samples from in and around the waste management had some parameters that were above the CDWG (Aesthetic Objectives), which is often the case in New Brunswick, and is consistent with historical data presented in the Environmental Assessment Study Report. Specific chemical parameters above the CDWG were iron, manganese, sodium and chloride. Elevated levels of these parameters often lead to high color and turbidity, which was reflected in the results.
  • the fisheries inventory in streams near the facility found only eels and no other fish species.

Further updates will be provided as the sampling proceeds, including a final report which will be prepared when the work is complete.