Corner Brook Pulp and Paper has submitted its plan to clean up the Humber Canal, but it still needs a little more detail before it can be approved by the provincial government.
The paper company has promised to remove items believed to have been left in the canal by forestry operations dating back to the 1950s.
The canal, which delivers water to the Deer Lake Power hydroelectricity plant that generates power for the paper mill in Corner Brook, is also the drinking water supply for the towns of Deer Lake and Reidville.
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The paper company did a complete assessment of the canal after reports of unnatural debris beneath its surface and has committed to removing the submerged items in a way that meets environmental guidelines and ensures the continued safety of the water supply.
Government testing has shown the water is still safe to consume and the plan is to keep it that way.
Darren Pelley, Corner Brook Pulp and Paper’s general manager, said the work will focus mainly on the removal of a number of metal barrels from one particular area of the canal. Municipal Affairs and Environment Minister Eddie Joyce said the project will also involve the removal of two wooden barges submerged in the same area.
Stantec, the environmental engineering company hired by the paper company for this work, provided a remediation plan to the province March 2. Joyce’s department has since asked for additional information and clarification on some points contained in the plan.
“Certainly, the right thing to do is to take the time to make sure we are very clear before we start,” Pelley said of the delayed approval.
Joyce said the experts in his department asking for more clarification is a normal part of this sort of process.
While it is believed the barrels are intact and empty, Joyce said the main concern is stirring up the sediment around which the barrels and barges sit and what remediation plan would be in place if there were any issues with disturbing the sediment.
“The barges shouldn’t be an issue because it’s just wood,” said Joyce. “The drums would need a more detailed plan as to how to remove them safely.”
Pelley acknowledged the removal of the drums without impacting the water quality is the focus of the finer details that are being worked out. He said the plan is to use an excavator and divers to remove the barrels.
“How that’s done is part of the conversation going on right now,” said Pelley.
The company hopes it can get the approvals it requires and have the barrels and barges removed by July.
“It could happen fairly soon but, if there is any further analysis needed, we will do that,” added Pelley. “It’s more about making sure the procedures we use are the right procedures and we have proper testing in place to control the area as we’re going ahead.”