By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Irish Loop
Something stinks in St. Mary’s, but not for too much longer.
News that the tender to clean up a decade-long stench from an abandoned fish sauce plant has been awarded and work is slated to begin at the end of June, is like a breath of fresh air for Mayor Steve Ryan and the rest of the community.
“It’s been so long dealing with this, you almost can’t believe it’s going to be over. You almost lose hope, that it’s never going to happen,” said Ryan.
The smell emanates from the abandoned Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company location, which opened around 1990 but has been inactive for more than 20 years.
Council awarded the tender June 5 to Capital Crane Limited/Capital Environmental Limited out of Mount Pearl, what they described as the lowest compliant bidder, at an amount of $1,740,385.
The work will clean up more than 100 tanks of fermented fish sauce and waste that has accumulated on the floor. Ryan said the sauce will have to be solidified before it can be transported to the waste facility.
“This is going to take all summer, but it’s worth it to get it done,” said Ryan, adding that removal activity should be complete sometime in September.
Other bids listed on the tender website merx.com included Coady Construction ($2,885,300), Can-Am Platforms ($1,970,077.40), Groundforce Contracting ($1,495,000), and GFL Environmental ($1,779, 388).
The tender amount was beyond the project budget, which is held with the province, and the Town began working with the province on a budget adjustment. Ryan said he got good news on that front from the province on June 8.
“I was talking to the minister with a message from the premier saying they got us,” Ryan said.
