17 toxic radar bases in Northern Ontario to be cleaned up
From http://www.timminspress.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=168629&catname=Local+News&classif=
Military, Ontario have plan to clean up radar bases near Hudson Bay - CP - Saturday, August 26, 2006
A plan to clean up 17 toxic radar bases in Northern Ontario could soon be up for federal approval, the Defence Department says.
Department spokesman Doug Drever said Friday military officials have spoken with senior Ontario government officials on a joint effort to clean up abandoned radar posts along the southern shore of Hudson Bay and the western shore of James Bay.
The sites have been contaminating nearby First Nation communities for decades.
"As a result of these discussions, senior government officials have developed an approach that will be presented to the federal government for approval," Drever said.
"The time frame for this is not known at this time."
The sites were once part of the Mid-Canada Radar Line, built in the 1960s.
When the sites were abandoned they were turned over to the province. At many sites, barrels of oil, fuel and PCBs have been left to rust for decades.
As a result, contaminants have leached into the hunting grounds and waterways of dozens of First Nations communities.
MP Charlie Angus (NDP - Timmins-James Bay) says a federal government advisory telling the communities not to eat wild animals or fish is useless, since these animals are such a vital food source for the First Nations.
"These people have to survive off wild game," he said. "They have no other choice."
Angus said was pleased that the military has changed its tone on the issue, but said First Nations communities need a firm timeline for the work to be done.
"The commitment to talk is better than the position that (then Defence Minister) Bill Graham took, which was to stonewall us," Angus said.
"But, a commitment to talk is not a commitment to clean up."
Angus described the First Nations community along the northern stretch of the Winisk River as Ground Zero for contamination.
At an old radar base near that community, aerial photos show thousands of rusty barrels stacked 10 high left to deteriorate.
Thousands of barrels have already washed into the river, elevating the amount of PCBs to dangerous levels, Angus said.
At another site north of Kapuskasing, the level of PCBs in the ground is 16,000 times above acceptable amounts, Ontario government documents indicate.
Angus said he wants the federal government commit to a long-term health study on the effects of these toxic radar bases on nearby First Nations communities.
He said higher cancer rates in these communities illustrate how serious the problem has become over the last several decades.