radar-site-before-clean-up

The Ministry of Natural Resources is turning its attention to Fort Severn as it continues to clean up Cold War-era radar sites.

The early-warning system was decommissioned decades ago, but a cluster of five sites remains contaminated with toxic material and littered with debris and derelict buildings.

MNR project co-ordinator Dave Etheridge said Fort Severn First Nation is anxious to see hazardous material removed from its traditional territory.

“[The sites were] just left.  There wasn’t the proper care to containerize or to ensure any of this material was protected from the environment,” he said.

“The barrels have disintegrated and there has been fuel that’s leaked into the soil.”

Etheridge said there are four risk factors at the old radar sites: metals, PCBs, hydrocarbon contamination (including old oil and gas), and a “slight chance there might be some pesticides.”

Cleanup in final stages

The remediation of the radar sites brings other benefits to First Nations as well…….

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Read more here:- www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/fort-severn-first-nation-works-with-mnr-to-clean-up-radar-site-1.2522768