Federal government contracts worth more
than $18 million
EDWARDSVILLE, N.S. — A ship breaking
company based in the Sydport Business Park has completely dismantled one
military vessel and now has two more in its sights.
Marine Recycling Corp. completed the
work on CFAV Quest, a former Canadian Forces auxiliary vessel, earlier this
spring and crews are now breaking up the former HMCS Preserver, an auxiliary
oiler replacement ship decommissioned by the Royal Canadian Navy in 2017.
The Port Colbourne, Ont.-based company
was awarded a $12.6-million federal tender to dismantle both ships last summer.
In January, Ottawa announced a $5.7-million contract to break up the former
HMCS Athabaskan at its dock in Sydport.
Related: Sydport to host shipbreaking of
former navy ships
Contaminated material including PCBs
(polychlorinated biphenyl), oils, corrosive chemicals and florescent light
tubes containing mercury phosphor powder have been removed from all three
vessels and taken to facilities able to handle the hazardous waste, said Wayne
Elliott, founder and director of business development for Marine Recycling
Corp.
“Our company handles a lot of that
material, of course, back here in Ontario as well. We’ve been handling these
kinds of wastes for many, many years,” he said.
“All of the wastes go on hazardous waste
manifests and permanent waste carriers and vacuum trucks in the case of
liquids.”
The PCB waste is transported to the Swan
Hills Treatment Centre in Alberta and to another facility in Ontario.
The scrap metal from the Quest had been
reduced to “charging box size” material that’s melted down and recycled for any
number of uses — typically converted into rods and bars, which are used in the
construction industry.
There are about 25 employees working on
the dismantling of the ships, according to Elliott.
Eight of those employed are members of
the Eskasoni First Nation.
Steve Parsons, general manager of
Eskasoni corporate services, said the indigenous community struck a
relationship with the ship breaking company last year.
“When they identified that they would
need welders and fabricators, I had recently got individuals from the band trained
over the last three or four years — they had been in and out of different
companies based on the work available — I approached Wayne and his company
hoping to create a relationship with him as he was a new company in town,” he
said.
“They were willing to give some of our
band members an opportunity and a chance because they had a need for skilled
workers. Everything is working fine … and when they need somebody, they
continue to come back to us.”
Parsons said the band hands over résumés
to Marine Recycling Corp., which then does the hiring.
Elliott said he does expect the number
of hires to increase over the coming months to as many as 35 and indicated
there could be new contracts signed by the end of 2018.
“There are some opportunities coming up
and I think by the end of the year we expect the first one and go from there,”
he said.
“We see a good long-term business (in
Sydport) of recycling all types of vessels, really.”
FAST FACTS
Marine Recycling Corp.:
• Awarded federal government contract in
August 2017 to dismantle the former CFAV Quest and HMCS Preserver for $12.6
million.
• In January, Ottawa tendered a
$5.7-million contract to break up former HMCS Athabaskan.
• Work on Athabaskan to continue to May
2019.
Twitter: @cbpost_chris
Source: cape breton post. 28 May 2018
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