The Media Room

Natural Resources Canada

2011/23

February 14, 2011

Government of Canada Moving Forward on Road to
Historic Waste Cleanup in Port Hope

PORT HOPE, ONTARIO — The Port Hope Area Initiative will take a major step forward this spring with the construction of an access road to facilitate the construction and operation of a new long-term waste management facility.     

The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, and Rick Norlock, Member of Parliament for Northumberland–Quinte West, announced today that the Government of Canada will tender proposals to construct the access road in the coming weeks.

"The Government of Canada has a long-standing commitment to clean up historic low-level radioactive waste sites in this community, and I am pleased to see this progress," said Minister Paradis. "At the same time, the construction of this access road and other construction activities that will be part of the Port Hope Area Initiative will create both short- and long-term opportunities for economic development in this beautiful community."

"I am pleased to see that the hard work done by the Port Hope Area Initiative and the municipality over the last several years is beginning to show tangible results," said Mr. Norlock. "We look forward to continued collaboration with the people of Port Hope as we develop and implement a solution that will benefit the community and protect the environment for the long term."

Public Works and Government Services Canada, on behalf of Natural Resources Canada, will be competitively tendering the construction project on MERX, the Government of Canada's public electronic tendering service. The contract is expected to be awarded in spring 2011.

The Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) is dedicated to the safe cleanup and long-term management of historic low-level radioactive waste in the municipalities of Port Hope and Clarington. The PHAI Management Office is a partnership of Natural Resources Canada with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and Public Works and Government Services Canada.

FOR BROADCAST USE:

Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis and Northumberland–Quinte West MP Rick Norlock today announced that the Port Hope Area Initiative will take a major step forward this spring. An access road will be constructed to facilitate the construction of a long-term waste management facility and the transportation of low-level radioactive waste from sites in Port Hope to the facility.  

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