Media Room

Speeches

Speaking points for the
Honourable Scott Brison
Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada

on the Remediation of the
Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Oven Sites

May 2, 2005

Check Against Delivery

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

It's wonderful to be here with Minister Dion, with MPs Mark Eyking and Rodger Cuzner to see us moving forward with the crucial next steps in the clean-up of the Sydney Tar Ponds.

I know that there have been frustrations in this community.

But I’m here to tell you that this launching of the environmental assessment track does represent a giant step forward in, once and for all, getting the clean-up underway.

And I know we are doing the right thing to address the public concerns.

My commitment to you today is that this will be carried out in a timely fashion. No one wants any more delays.

We are expecting the report from the panel at the end of June 2006.

The panel will assess the proposed project and evaluate alternative means of carrying out the project that are technically and economically feasible and within the current budget for the project.

This is going forward and it is going forward decisively.

While the panel review now gets underway, I am pleased to confirm that you will soon be seeing the first visible signs of work related to the clean-up.

We have approved 24 million dollars for the Sydney Tar Pond Agency so that they are able to start some of the preliminary and preventative work this summer.

This will make it easier to clean up the contaminated area. More importantly, it will help prevent the flow of any more contamination from the Coke Ovens site to the Tar Ponds.

I am proud to be part of a government that will continue to work with the province and the community to make Sydney a better place in which to live, to invest, to work and of course to visit.

And I applaud you, the people of Sydney and of Cape Breton, for your patience, for keeping on the pressure, and for demanding a permanent solution. Well, my friends, that’s exactly what we are doing — delivering on a permanent solution to once and for all clean up the tar ponds.

The government of Paul Martin is firmly committed to a healthier environment and a stronger economy.

To ensuring a greener and cleaner Canada.

To making the clean-up of the Sydney Tar Ponds an example to the rest of Canada and even the world.

You deserve nothing less.

Thank you.