City must remove fuel tank buried at police HQ

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This article was published 14/07/2016 (3685 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The latest in a long list of problems that have beset the new police headquarters is buried beneath ground, but it’s far from treasure.

The city has issued a tender for the removal of a 45,000-litre diesel storage tank at 266 Graham Ave.

Officials were reluctant to release more than scant details on the project, initially refusing to say where the tank was buried, how big it was, which department was billed for the work, and if the removal would impact police operations.

More information was released Thursday afternoon, several hours after the Free Press published a story on its website.

The tank, which a civic spokeswoman said is estimated to be 3.1 metres in diameter and 6.3 metres in length, is buried near the building’s front entrance, underneath the covered driveway at the southwest corner of Graham Avenue and Garry Street.

The tank had been used to store diesel for a generator, which is now using fuel from a different source.

“The tank was in use until November 2015,” the spokeswoman said. “Essentially, it’s no longer needed. Provincial legislation does not allow underground fuel tanks to be abandoned in place, so we will be removing it. It is preferable to have this work completed in a season other than winter. Funding to remove the decommissioned tank was approved in the 2016 budget.”

According to documents posted on the city’s website, the winning contractor has to demonstrate “substantial performance” by Aug. 31 and finish the job by Sept. 15. Any delays in completing substantial performance by Aug. 31 will result in penalties of $100 per day.

The spokeswoman said the project is being billed to the municipal accommodations branch of the planning, property and development department. An estimated budget will not be disclosed, she said, so as not to give a financial advantage to the bidders. But the price of the winning bid will be posted after the contract has been awarded.

Since the tank is buried in front of the building, the spokeswoman said the project is not expected to have any direct impact on police operations inside.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

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