Officials in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough say they want action on an old gas station.
They say a report by reps with Dillon Consulting Ltd. shows contamination at the old Irving site on Main St. in Guysborough.
After December’s regular municipal council meeting Wednesday afternoon, Vernon Pitts, the warden of the municipality, said it’s been more than 15 years since the facility closed.
Pitts said it’s been an unsightly property for much of that time.
“There’s been very little done to improve the look of the lot,” he said. “We’ve found out since then that there’s significant contamination in the soil, and it’s migrating off the property (and) affecting residents.”
Pitts said municipal officials haven’t had any luck with company reps to date.
He said they need provincial officials to step in.
“If it was happening somewhere else in another municipal unit- in downtown Antigonish, New Glasgow, Halifax or Truro- it would have been remediated long before this, without us having to go to bat.”
Councillors voted to send company reps and provincial environment department officials a letter to demand action during Wednesday’s meeting.
Pitts said it’s their first time going to their provincial counterparts on the issue.
We’ve reached out to Irving reps for comment.
