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Backgrounder

Environmental Clean-Up at Harvey Barracks, on the Site of the Former CFB Calgary

BG–04.009 - April 19, 2004

Introduction

Over the past 10 years, more than $66 million has been spent remediating the site of the former CFB Calgary, in order to return the land to the Tsuu T'ina Nation. The project is nearing an end, with work on the last of the large-scale sites being completed in 2004.

In addition to Department of National Defence funding, the Harvey Barracks remediation project received $7 million in funding through the Federal Contaminated Sites Accelerated Action Plan in 2003/04.

BACKGROUND

The former Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Calgary was located in the southwest part of the city. The Canadian Forces' presence in Calgary dates back to 1901, when Headquarters Military District 13 was established in Calgary. The development of permanent base infrastructure began in the 1930s, when both the army and air force maintained a presence. Calgary was further developed during both the Second World War and the Korean War with the establishment of an infantry training centre, an air force station, as well as a Brigade Group Headquarters. When the air force closed its station in 1964, CFB Calgary became primarily an army base.

The federal government announced the closure of CFB Calgary's Harvey Barracks area in 1994 and the closure of the entire base in 1995 as result of a forces-wide infrastructure reduction. The decision to close CFB Calgary and move units to Edmonton was based on several factors including training area availability, future operations and maintenance costs, and a desire to consolidate 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in a single location for ease of control.

The remaining units in Calgary, like reserve and cadet units, have access to a support facility, which was completed in 1999 and is located on retained land at the former Currie Barracks area.

Land Use and Return

Since 1908, DND has leased about 11,800 acres of Sarcee reserve land, commonly referred to as the Sarcee Training Area (STA), which became part of CFB Calgary. In 1952, DND purchased an additional 940 acres of reserve land from the Tsuu T'ina Nation, the area referred to as Harvey Barracks. The Barrack Area occupies 320 acres of this parcel of land, with the Practice Area constituting the remaining 620 acres.

Between 1910 and 1981, DND conducted various military training activities, such as artillery training on the leased land in the service of national interests. These activities resulted in the accumulation of unexploded-ordnance and explosive-ordnance contamination in the area.

In 1982, the Tsuu T'ina Nation initiated federal court action, seeking orders for the restoration of the 11,800-acre STA to its original condition (i.e. prairie land) prior to military use and for the return of the 940-acre parcel to the Band.

A settlement concerning the 11,800-acre STA was reached in 1985. The agreement allowed DND to lease 8,000 acres for 20 years, while an unexploded ordnance (UXO) decontamination program was undertaken. The remaining 3,800 acres were cleared, rehabilitated and returned to the Tsuu T'ina Nation in December 1990.

The future of the 940 acres of land known as Harvey Barracks was settled out of court with the signing of a settlement agreement on November 1, 1991. The agreement required that DND return this land to the Tsuu T'ina Nation, with the Tsuu T'ina Nation leasing the area back to DND. The leaseback to DND of the 940-acre Harvey Barracks area was sub-divided into two areas. The first 320 acres is known as the Barrack Lands, where DND has major infrastructure, and the remaining 620 acres is known as the Practice Area Lands.

Remediation activities

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Disposal

The current UXO clearance work in the Sarcee Training Area began in 1988. To date 11,000 acres have been cleared. The remaining 800 acres will be cleared by the end of March 2005. UXO clearance work in the Harvey Barracks area began in 1998 and will be completed in the spring of 2004. Clearance of the Elbow River that flows between the Harvey Barracks lands and the Sarcee Training Area began in 2001 and is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2006.

As part of the federal government's Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business, an Aboriginal Set-Aside contract is awarded each year to a Tsuu T'ina clearance company - Wolf Flats Ordnance Disposal Corporation - to clear DND-occupied land.

Environmental clean-up of the Harvey Barracks and Practice areas

Pursuant to its settlement agreement with the Tsuu T'ina Nation, DND is obligated to investigate and clean the Barracks and Practice Area Lands to a condition suitable for residential use. The 1991 settlement agreement also stipulated that a directed contract be given to a local, Native-run company, Sarcee Sand and Gravel, to provide job opportunities to the First Nation. Sarcee Sand and Gravel is employed in the separation of UXO from non-UXO material and wastes.

Demolition of structures not designated for reuse by the band has been completed, as have environmental assessments and human health risk assessments.

Since April 2003, work has been ongoing at six of the last, large-scale sites. Working two shifts a day, DND excavated and separated chemical wastes from other waste materials present. The different waste streams were then screened for UXOs, which were neutralized, as appropriate, and the waste material was classified and sent to appropriate licenced landfill sites on a daily basis.

Work has been completed at three sites; Buffalo Buttress, which contained lead contamination above leachable lead criteria, and two sites on the Elbow River escarpment containing waste material, paints, solvents, poly- and hydrocarbons and metals.

Excavation and separation of waste materials at the former chemical warfare storage area and a site with material containing asbestos was completed, while work continued on screening, classifying and shipping the waste to licensed landfills. UXO and munitions scrap is destroyed at the Wainwright Training Area in Wainwright, Alberta.

Excavation and separation of waste materials at a former medical facility site is ongoing. Work at this site proceeded slowly due to the presence of UXO. Meanwhile, material is being classified and shipped off the site regularly.

Restoration of areas disturbed by investigation or remedial work is 10 per cent complete with remaining obligations to be negotiated with the Nation.

Conclusion

The environmental remediation of the former CFB Calgary has been a success, not only from a clean-up perspective, but also because the project has lead to the development of new technology and expertise for both DND and the Tsuu T'ina Nation. Through work on this project, DND has tested and verified a successful approach to the remediation of contaminated sites that contain UXO items, creating special safety, handling and processing procedures to neutralize and segregate UXO wastes prior to disposal. In addition, DND has worked with the Nation's contractors to create the only armoured and remote-controlled excavators, dozers and front-end loaders operating privately in the country.

By partnering with the Tsuu T'ina Nation on this project, DND has passed on to the First Nation a great deal of technical expertise and knowledge about environmental remediation and UXO clearance operations. This knowledge has assisted the Nation in developing their own companies with the required expertise to perform clean-ups at other sites across the country.

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