The Praxis Group™ | Involving People.

Westco commissioned Praxis to undertake the public involvement process for the decommissioning of the Westco fertilizer production plant outside Medicine Hat, Alberta. This major, ten-year, $30 million process, involved a number of approaches to involve a wide range of the general public and stakeholders throughout the region. As part of the process, Praxis contracted an “information liaison” in the community to act as the focus for information dissemination and activities. The first two years of this process saw extensive site analysis as well as the demolition of all site facilities. Next, the process moved into the initial cleanup stage with various segments of this 130 hectare site being cleaned up, decommissioned and disposed of, where possible. Praxis organized open houses, advisory committees, one-on-one meetings, media contact and other forms of public mediation to inform residents of Medicine Hat and the surrounding rural areas about the decommissioning progress.