The DEW Line stretched several thousand kilometres across the breadth of the Canadian Arctic and Alaska. Within Canadian territory the DEW Line consisted of 21 radar stations extending from Komakuk Beach in the Yukon Territory in the west to Cape Dyer on Baffin Island in the Territory of Nunavut in the east.
The DEW Line facilities that are not required for operation of the North Warning System have now been abandoned and are in the process of being cleaned up and physically restored by their owner, the Canadian Department of National Defence. Since 1992, SGE Acres has worked closely with UMA Engineering, the prime consultant, in the planning and design of the cleanup operations, with particular emphasis on:
- site investigations and public consultation
- participation in design and constructability reviews
- cost estimating, risk assessment and implementation planning, and sensitivity analyses.
Physical cleanup operations commenced in 1996 and to date nine sites have been completed. Work is carried out as funds are made available and it is anticipated that all sites will be completed by 2010 at a total cost in excess of $500 million.
The primary goal is to restore the sites to an environmentally safe condition - safe for the indigenous population, and for wildlife. This primarily involves demolition of surplus facilities, removal of contaminated and hazardous material from contact with the arctic ecosystem and re-grading the site to restore natural drainage.
Prior to the start of cleanup operations, an extensive round of consultation was carried out with all communities adjacent to the DEW Line sites. As the work progresses, an additional consultation is held with each local community in which construction is scheduled to commence.
This project was recognized by an Award of Merit presented to the UMA Group by Consulting Engineers of Alberta in 2001.
For further information please contact Nancy Rezkalla, Corporate Marketing, at nrezkalla@acres.com