After decades of study, the federal and Nova Scotia governments say the best way to deal with the notorious Sydney tar ponds is to bury the whole mess.

Officials from Ottawa and the province announced Sunday a $400-million plan to solidify the toxic sludge by mixing in a concrete-like substance.

They hope to eventually cover the area with a plastic sheet, then soil, and finally grass.

The tarponds in Sydney, N.S., are to be buried not incinerated.
CBC

Environmentalists and local residents were worried officials would incinerate some of the material, but that won't happen.

Federal and provincial officials said the plan they've chosen should stabilize the 100-hectare site without producing any adverse health or environmental effects.

Neila MacQueen, who has lived near the tar ponds for about 50 years, is not so sure. She told CBC News the toxic material will have to be moved around during the project, which is expected to last seven years.

"It should be monitored and the people, especially the children, should be monitored and if there are any illnesses, they should be attended to."

"Right now, here in Cape Breton, I think there's an epidemic with lung cancer, brain tumours and many other illnesses," said MacQueen, adding that she had to quit operating a small store near the tar ponds after undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

She said she's glad incineration is off the table, but she's calling on the two governments to compensate people who want to move from the area until construction is complete. 

The tar ponds and the former Sydney Steel coke ovens have long been considered one of Canada's worst toxic waste sites.

The site is the size of three city blocks and is a toxic cesspool of waste, the result of pollution from steel-making and coke ovens that began operating in the early 20th century.

People living nearby have been complaining for years that pollution from the plants is responsible for elevated rates of cancer in the area and a slew of other illnesses.

The site contains 700,000 tonnes of soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), solvents, and various heavy metals.

There are stories of material believed to be from the site leaching into the basements of some residences, and some people have felt compelled to leave the area.

About 26,000 people live within a four-kilometre radius of the tar ponds, the majority of them less than 1.5 kilometres from the site.

With files from the Canadian Press