Gas Plus cleanup takeover from province too slow, says former neighbour

A Calgary woman who used to live near a contaminated Gas Plus station in Bowness says it took far too long to get the province to intervene after the site cleanup stalled.

Thousands of litres of gasoline leaked from an underground storage tank at the former service station in northwest Calgary in 2010.

The province announced on Tuesday it was taking over the cleanup job after the property owners’ consistent failure to remediate the site.

Monica Shruwka moved away three years ago for fear that her children were in danger from the contamination.

“As a group of residents we've worked very hard pressuring all levels of government to take action on this cleanup,” she said.

“And unfortunately, four years later nothing had been done. I have no idea why it took so long, but frankly I'm just grateful. I'm sort of thinking better late than never.”

Gas Plus Inc. Handel Transport (Northern) Ltd., which owns the property, blames the stalled remediation on the government.

The company issued a press release Tuesday saying it has been waiting for a senior official with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development for permission to complete the final stage of remediation.