Sydney Tar Ponds

Sydney, Nova Scotia's infamous "Tar Ponds" contain 700,000 tonnes of toxic sludge, of which 40,000 tonnes are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). To put this figure in perspective, the Tar Ponds contain over 20 times the amount of toxic sludge than New York's infamous Love Canal.

It has been over 20 years since the federal and provincial governments launched a $34 million project to clean up the Tar Ponds. Taxpayers spent $60 million on an incinerator to burn sludge from the ponds, but the piping system to transport the toxic waste didn't work and the project was abandoned. Finally, it was decided to solidify the ponds by pouring cement into the site, in hopes of stabilizing the toxins.

Sierra Club's Cape Breton Group took a leadership role in pushing for recognition of the extent of the health risks posed by the site and demanding a safe clean-up.

For more information, please go to: http://www.safecleanup.com as well as archived information and reports on our National website: http://www.sierraclub.ca/national/sydney-tar-ponds.