HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. – Defence Minister Peter MacKay has announced $300 million as part of an ongoing project to help clean up contaminated sites at an airbase in Labrador.
The federal government says the contamination of parts of 5 Wing Goose Bay has been attributed to past storage and handling practices of certain materials, including heavy metals and pesticides.
Research is needed to determine the extent of the contamination, but MacKay says the cleanup project will ultimately decrease health and environmental risks.
The process, which should be completed by 2020, will include cleaning up soil and groundwater that’s been contaminated.
MacKay says the project will also benefit the local economy.
As part of the $300 million in federal funding, a $4.5 million contract was recently awarded to an environment service firm with a local office in the community.
