ESQUIMALT, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 28, 2012) - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and Senior Minister Responsible for British Columbia, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, today announced the award of a $6.5M contract to Salish Sea Joint Venture of Victoria, British Columbia to construct a sheet pile wall to provide erosion protection at the Esquimalt Graving Dock. This project is a part of a major remediation project to remove contaminated sediment in the Esquimalt Graving Dock water lot.

"Our Government's priority remains the economy and job creation," said Minister Moore. "This environmental remediation work benefits Esquimalt Harbour, contributes to the economic foundation of the community and mitigates risk to human health and the environment."

"These new investments in the Greater Victoria area clearly illustrate the Harper Government's continued commitment to environmental stewardship and to our community," said Minister Ambrose. "Through this investment, we are not only cleaning up the seabed surrounding the dock, but also creating jobs and investing in the local economy."

The Esquimalt Graving Dock has been used for the repair and maintenance of military and civilian vessels since 1927. Decades of work at the dock has contributed to sediment contamination in the seabed around the facility. This project will ensure that the water lot meets federal and provincial environmental standards and will deliver jobs and important economic benefits to the region's economy over the next two years.

The Project involves three components: constructing an erosion protection sheet pile wall around the south jetty; dredging the contaminated sediment and disposing of it in licensed landfills; and creating new fish habitat.

The Esquimalt Graving Dock Water Lot Remediation Project is funded through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan, which is coordinated by Environment Canada and the Treasury Board to provide funding to assess and remediate federal contaminated sites.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is committed to a fair, open and transparent tendering process. Contracting for the other components of this remediation project will be conducted through the Government Electronic Tendering System (MERX).

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BACKGROUND

ESQUIMALT GRAVING DOCK-WATER LOT REMEDIATION PROJECT

The Esquimalt Graving Dock (EGD) is an open access public ship repair facility that supports the local ship repair industry and fleet owners. As the EGD is an open access facility, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) provides infrastructure, services, and multi-user access to the dry dock, on a fee-for-service basis, to a variety of ship repair firms that perform work on domestic and foreign vessels. The EGD remains of strategic importance to the Government of Canada; therefore, PWGSC is committed to ensuring it continues as an open public ship repair facility that supports the local ship repair industry and fleet owners.

The EGD water lot is located on the north shore of Constance Cove in Esquimalt Harbour. The EGD has been used for the repair and maintenance of military and civilian vessels since 1927 and has contributed to sediment contamination in the seabed adjacent to the facility. This project will ensure that the water lot is remediated to meet federal and provincial environmental standards.

The project involves three components: dredging the contaminated sediment and disposing of it in licensed landfills; constructing an erosion protection sheet pile wall around the south jetty to isolate the contamination under the jetty; and creating new fish habitat.

The EGD Water Lot Remediation Project is funded by the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan, which is coordinated by Environment Canada and the Treasury Board to provide funding to assess and remediate federal contaminated sites.

PWGSC proposes to address the major objectives of the project through the following key steps:

• planning for remediation works, including supplementary investigations, options analysis, permit/approval acquisition, remedial design, and contracting;

• remediating the majority of sediment contamination through removal to offsite disposal facilities;

• carrying out risk management on a small portion of sediment contamination that will remain on the site; and

• conducting post-remediation confirmatory sampling and monitoring.

The primary contaminants of concern include metals (i.e., arsenic, copper, lead, and zinc), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).