Tar Ponds SS - Mixing hazardous waste with cement powder Thursday September 22, 2011

Hard to believe that these workers are not wearing any masks to protect their lungs from the airborne dust and the chemicals that are coming off that site as it's mixed with this cement powder for long periods of time. 700,000 tonnes of PAH contaminated sludge in the Tar Ponds, including 50,000 tonnes of PCB contaminated sludge are being churned up and mixed with over 100,000 tonnes of cement powder, which causes an exothermic reaction heating up the mixture, driving off more contaminants into the air. It's clear to see just how much contamination is in the air from this process, not to mention all the chemicals in the air that we can't see, such as benzo(a)pyrene, naphthalene, etc. We're even warned when we buy a small bag of cement powder to wear a mask and goggles to protect our lungs and eyes from this corrosive dust. Here are these workers working on one of the largest remediation projects involving hazardous waste in Canada and they are wearing neither masks or goggles. Where is Nova Scotia Health, Labour and the Environment when all of this is going on?

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