Ottawa awards Port Radium cleanup contract

A Yellowknife-based company has been awarded a $7 million contract by the federal governmentto clean up the abandoned Port Radium mine site on Great Bear Lake.

The mine produced uranium, pitchblende and silver between 1930 and 1982.

Ottawasays Aboriginal Engineering submitted the best technical proposal for the lowest overall price.

It also promised to maximize employment and contracting opportunities for the people of nearby Deline.

When the mine closed in1982, it was cleaned up according to the standards of the day, but there are still high radiation level areas that need to be covered, the government says. Thereis alsohazardous waste that needs to be dealt with.

Work at Port Radium, located about 440 kilometres northwestof Yellowknife,is expected to begin next summer and continue for several years.