Sydney Steel Corporation Business Plan 2005-06

The business plan is composed of the following sections:

1. Mission
2. Planning Context
3. Performance in Prior Year
4. Strategic Goals
5. Core Business Areas
   • Demolition
   • Site Remediation
   • Sale of air-cooled blast furnace slag, scrap metal, and major equipment
   • Site Redevelopment
   • Support other agencies and initiatives as required
   • Health and safety and site security
6. Budget Context

Mission:

SYSCO’s mission is: To safely clean up and redevelop the former steel plant site to a productive, self-sufficient business property, providing opportunities for future economic development.

SERL’s mandate is: To provide technical and administrative support and other resources to support SYSCO’s mission, as well as the work of other organizations on a contractual, as needed basis.


Planning Context

SYSCO and SERL report to the Minister of Transportation and Public Works, Province of Nova Scotia and maintain a joint head office at 1 Inglis Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia.

In 2004, SERL and SYSCO’s management teams increased their cooperation and collaboration in achieving the SYSCO’s mission.

Currently, SYSCO's key activities include demolition, site cleanup, the sale of scrap metal and slag, and the redevelopment of the site as an industrial park. SERL works to support these initiatives with technical and administrative expertise and other resources.

For the 2005-06 fiscal year, deconstruction of the site, which is significantly well-advanced, will continue. Demolition is expected to be complete in late summer, with scrap processing and sales to continue until the end of the 2005/2006 fiscal period.

To date, decommissioning has been based on environmentally safe practices, efficient processes, fiscal responsibility, accountability, and harmonious relations with labour. The Corporations will continue to contribute to the realization of these objectives, with the health and safety of the work force and the community foremost in their approach.

In order to accomplish the overall mission, the Corporations have established a shared management team and trained local labour providing the Corporations with the needed resources and employees with valuable experience for future opportunities.

The steel plant area, with its significant port facilities and slag quarry, has obvious potential as an industrial site. Consequently, the Corporations anticipate deploying staff and resources for the purpose of optimizing the potential of the site in the long-term economic development of Cape Breton.

In partnership with provincial government agencies and departments, the Corporations will assume an active role in the management, operation, security, maintenance, and administrative services of the future industrial park.

One of the key objectives is to maximize financial returns to the shareholder in the sale of slag for commercial and non-commercial application by having trained personnel, progressive work plans, strong working relationships with regulators, and delivery of quantities on time, within budget and without interruption. The Corporations are working with Dalhousie University and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, as well as private businesses to develop value-added products from air-cooled blast furnace slag production.

The Corporations are both directly and indirectly responsible for the security of Nova Scotia’s industrial land holdings formerly used in steel making.

For several years, The Corporations have provided support services for the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency, and if required will maintain this supporting role as the Tar Ponds Project moves forward.