A legacy of the Cold War, the Canadian DEW Line sites located at the 66th parallel on the Arctic coastline from the Yukon Territory to Baffin Island, provided for early detection of military approaches over the North Pole. Now, over 40 years later, with advances in radar surveillance technology, the DEW Line facilities are redundant. They stand alone and unused on the remote Arctic tundra.

The war that never came left an expensive legacy along the 66th parallel.

The Canadian Department of National Defence has initiated the cleanup of these sites, based on a practical and cost-effective risk management model. The implementation strategy emphasizes the prevention of movement of chemical contaminants into the sensitive Arctic ecosystem, and provides for the physical restoration of the sites.

This project, designed by a consulting team led by UMA, is scheduled to be completed in 2008, at an estimated cost of $250 million. For its work on the DEW Line Cleanup Project, UMA was recognized with an Award of Merit from the Consulting Engineers of Alberta.

During original construction, millions of tons of gravel were excavated from the frozen ground and used for roads, building foundations, and airstrips ­ enough, it was once reported, to build a highway 18-feet wide and a foot thick from Toronto to Vancouver. As part of the risk management approach, this gravel will be re-used for the physical restoration of these sites, which includes building new landfills and covering the hundreds of landfills that were created during the operation of these sites.

To address concerns of the Aboriginal peoples regarding the "country" foods, contaminated materials within the sites which could adversely impact vegetation and/or wildlife, will be removed. All hazardous materials will be shipped off site. Areas impacted by DEW Line activities that present no risk to the food chain will be left in place and contoured to restore natural drainage.

Through the successful collaboration of client, scientists, engineers, approving authorities, and Aboriginal organizations, the DEW Line project has established a cleanup protocol with long-term cost-effective engineering solutions that meet the needs of all stakeholders.

The UMA Group Ltd. acknowledged Defence Construction Canada, Project Managers for the Department of National Defence, and Environmental Sciences Group, Royal Military College, Scientific Advisors.