New President Appointed for Sydney Tar Ponds Agency

Kevin MacDonald has been appointed president of the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency. He joins the project after several years leading the Department of Engineering and Public Works with Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

Mr. MacDonald replaces Frank Potter, who has moved to the position of special projects engineer with Nova Scotia Lands Incorporated.

"Kevin MacDonald brings 14 years of experience providing solid leadership to the province's second largest municipal public works department," said David Darrow, deputy minister responsible for the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency. "He has significant experience in implementing large scale infrastructure projects and will be a tremendous asset as the project moves from the planning to implementation stage."

He has successfully managed the implementation of several major municipal infrastructure projects, including a new water supply system for Sydney, the Glace Bay water treatment plant, the Sydney sewage treatment plant, and the development of a solid waste management strategy for the municipality. He is also very familiar with the Tar Ponds Cleanup Project, having represented the municipality on several tar ponds-related committees over the years.

The Sydney Tar Ponds cleanup is a $400-million project set to be completed in 2014. The first phase of the project focused on planning and environmental assessment. The project is moving into the second phase of engineering design and implementation.

The Sydney Tar Ponds Agency was established by the province in 2004 to implement the cleanup. In June, the province ordered an external review of the agency to ensure it has the necessary expertise and resources to move the project through implementation. The review identified several issues that needed to be addressed to ensure the project can be completed on time and on budget. Part of Mr. MacDonald's mandate will be to address these issues.

Mr. Potter is joining Nova Scotia Lands Incorporated, a provincial Crown corporation established to manage the environmental cleanup of the former steel plant site and former Sysco-owned properties.

"I want to thank Mr. Potter for successfully moving the project through the critical environmental assessment phase, and I know that he will make an important contribution to the work of Nova Scotia Lands," said Mr. Darrow.