700 workers moved due to safety concerns
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. — Around 700 workers have been moved out of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric site in Labrador as protesters continue to occupy the grounds.
Nalcor Energy, the Crown corporation behind the multibillion-dollar project, issued a statement Sunday saying the move was made due to safety concerns.
The company says approximately 50 protesters remain on the site near Happy Valley-Goose Bay almost 24 hours after breaching the main gate.
Nalcor says protesters continue to obstruct the entrance to the site and police are on scene to monitor the situation.
Demonstrators broke into the site Saturday after a week of protests over health concerns relating to methylmercury contamination.
Critics say planned flooding of the land to create the 41-square-kilometre reservoir could lead to toxic levels of methylmercury in the waters near the project.
