Work to prepare for the removal of contaminated sediment in Port Hope Harbour began last week as part of the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) cleanup of historic low-level radioactive waste.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, which is undertaking the PHAI, has awarded the approximately $95 million contract to undertake the harbour work to Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. On August 2, Milestone installed a turbidity curtain (see photo) in the approach channel to limit the movement of sediment in the harbour. A wave attenuator will also be installed to isolate the harbour from Lake Ontario that clean-up work can be performed with minimal impact to the fish habitat.
The cleanup of the harbour, which is scheduled to take approximately five years to complete, also includes rehabilitating the aging harbour walls and suction dredging approximately 120,000 cubic metres of sediment contaminated with historic low-level radioactive waste from the harbour and approach channel.
There will be no access to the walking paths along the Centre Pier or to the parking lot at the south end of Queen Street for the duration of harbour cleanup. Anglers are encouraged to access the Ganaraska River and Lake Ontario from the Mill Street side of the river.
