Resources
Community Notice: Soil Remediation Project
Soil Remediation Project Open House Presentation Slides
Tuesday, July 2, 2024 – Work resumed on the soil remediation project on April 1, 2024, in preparation to remove niobium ore tailings from the Nova Beaucage processing mill that operated for seven months in 1956 in Yellek. The ore tailings from the mill were deposited at the mill site and the former gravel borrow pit north of Highway 17 (next to the Anishinabek Nation head office), now owned by the MTO.
The material was later removed from the sites to construct roadbeds, spread locally via grading activities around the site, and used as fill at private residences. All these residences were identified during the initial investigations and are part of the remediation plan.
This update is to communicate the work that has been completed to date and to provide anticipated timelines for operations for the month of July, which is when the excavation of NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) will begin.
Work Completed to Date
In April, Nipissing Miller began grubbing non-contaminated areas around the work sites and installing fencing. This non-contaminated material was hauled to the dumpsite on the old Nova Beaucage Road allowance.
Site preparation work took place throughout the month of May and is expected to be completed by the end of June. This work consists of preparing staging and stockpiling areas, as well as constructing haul routes.
Nipissing Miller continues to engage First North Enterprise’s excavator and operator, and both First North and Young Forestry Services are providing trucking services to the project.
Anticipated Schedule for July
Please note that timelines in the construction industry are often subject to change due to a variety of factors, including but not limited to weather, material availability, regulatory approvals, site conditions, equipment failures, etc.
July 2-5:
- Portable Variable Message Signs (PVMS) will be installed on July 2 at the intersection of Highway 17 and Nova Beaucage/Osprey Miikan. These electronic signs display messages to drivers in real-time to alert them to the hauling operations taking place in this area to mitigate safety risks
- Install the dam at Work Site #3 (next to Anishinabek Nation head office) to control water and facilitate dry working conditions prior to excavation of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)
July 8-12, July 15-19
- Potential to commence/complete NORM excavation operations for residential sites and remediate sites post completion of NORM excavation.
- Complete site facility control zone delineation fencing, implement dust control procedures/devices and install final silt fencing
July 22-26
- Commence NORM excavation on Work Site #3 (pending the completion of the NORM excavation on residential sites)
July 29 – late August
- Continue/complete NORM excavation of Work Site #3
There is a Health and Safety Plan for the three work sites and four private residences on NFN, and a separate HASP for the disposal site.
Project Updates
In May, we held an Open House at the Duchesnay Hall with representatives from NFN, Nipissing Miller, Spector Contract Administration, ISC, the MTO and EXP in attendance to provide more information about the project and answer questions from community members.
More information about the project is available on the NFN website and member portal, including the previous notice issued on April 16, 2024, and the presentation from the open house. The anticipated completion date for this project is July 2, 2025.
| For project operations and progress updates: | For project background and environmental concerns: |
| Bruce McLeod, Special Projects Manager 705-498-2520 Gen Couchie, Business Operations Manager 705-471-1545 [email protected] | Cathy McLeod, Land Manager 705-753-2922 ext. 1233 Curtis Avery, Environment Manager 705-753-2922 ext. 1290 |
For more resources and fact sheets about Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), please visit the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s website.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – Community members are invited to attend the Soil Remediation Project Open House on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Duchesnay Community Hall (520A Couchie Memorial Drive, Duchesnay, ON P1B 8G5).
Representatives from NFN, Nipissing Miller, Spector Contract Administration Services, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and EXP Environmental Engineering will be available at the Open House to provide more information about the project and to answer questions. A light meal and refreshments will be served.
Current Status: Site preparation operations are underway at the former mine site on Nova Beaucage Road, at the old Nova Beaucage Road allowance, and at the MTO lands east of the Anishinabek Nation offices. This work consists of clearing and grubbing non-contaminated areas, installing fencing, preparing staging and stockpiling areas, as well as constructing haul routes.
Excavation of the contaminated material on NFN is not expected to begin until July 2024.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 – The Nipissing Miller Partnership has resumed work on the Soil Remediation Project after completing preliminary work in the fall of 2023.
The project is a tripartite partnership between Nipissing First Nation, Indigenous Services Canada, and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to remove contaminated soil from the former Nova Beaucage Mine site in the community of Yellek, the MTO lands next to the Anishinabek Nation head office on Highway 17, and other areas across NFN. Once the material is removed, the sites will be restored to a natural state.
Excavation of the contaminated material on NFN is not expected to begin until July 2024.
For more details about the Soil Remediation Project, including information about the work sites on NFN and disposal site west of Sudbury, please read the full community notice here. A community open house / information session is being planned for the month of May to provide more information and answer questions from the community.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected] so that your inquiry can be directed to the appropriate contact or call:
| For project operations and progress updates: | For project background and environmental concerns: |
| Bruce McLeod, Special Projects Manager 705-498-2520 Gen Couchie, Business Operations Manager 705-471-1545 | Cathy McLeod, Land Manager 705-753-2922 ext. 1233 Curtis Avery, Environment Manager 705-753-2922 ext. 1290 |
