News Release

Procedure on Harbour Clean-up Court Application Adjourned Until may 14^th

(Friday, May 4/2001)- A pre-hearing conference to establish the appropriate procedure for the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia hearing of the application by HRM for Declarations on the "completeness" of proposals submitted on the Harbour Solutions Project, has been adjourned until May 14^th.

Legal counsel for the municipality and the two consortia bidding on the $315 million project, the Halifax Waterworks Group and the Halifax Regional Environmental Partnership, appeared in open court Thursday before Mr. Justice Walter Goodfellow, QC, in an effort to resolve a number of outstanding procedural issues, before a date for the hearing on the HRM application is scheduled.

Issues, such as the confidentiality of documents, right to discovery, legal standing of interested parties, evidence to be presented at the hearing, etc. were discussed at the pre-hearing conference yesterday.

HRM is now satisfied that the bid by the Halifax Waterworks Group meets the required criteria of "completeness" under the Request for Proposals (RFP). HRM is asking the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia to declare whether the competing bid by the Halifax Regional Environmental Partnership also meets the criteria.

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John O'Brien
Corporate Communications Officer
(902) 490-6531