Hearings into the proposed clean-up of the Kopeopeo Canal near Whakatane are underway following the Government's announcement to invest an extra $880,000 early this year.

This funding is on top of the $1.5million invested by the Government in 2011.

The canal was contaminated in the 1950s to late 1980s as a result of stormwater from the local sawmill.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council natural hazards general manager Ken Tarboton says the canal was contaminated as a result of stormwater from the local sawmill which treated timber using Pentachlorophenol (PCP).

The PCP contained dioxins as an impurity and was used as a wood preservative to treat timber contained dioxins that can harm human health.

The Kopeopeo Canal Contamination Remediation project will use a staged approach to remove and safely store and bioremediate the contaminated sediment from the canal.

A Project Steering Group has been set up to guide the project.

It consists of representatives from Ngati Awa, Sawmill Workers Against Poisons (SWAP), Whakatane Waimana Rivers Scheme Liaison Group, Ministry for the Environment and Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

'We intend to use three separate sites for the bioremediation of the sediment removed from the canal. Up to 40,000 cubic metres of sediment will be removed,” says Ken

Monitoring the Kopeopeo Canal will continue for several years after the contaminated sediment has been removed.

The eels will be monitored annually until the Medical Officer of Health confirms they are safe to eat.

The project is expected to cost $4.4million, funded by the Ministry for the Environment through the Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund (CSRF) and the Regional Council.

The Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund provides money for the investigation, remedial planning and remediation of sites that pose a risk to human health and the environment.

The Council is hosting hearings this week to allow the community a chance to have their say and raise any concerns they may have about the methods used to remove the toxins.

The hearings are expected to come to a close on Friday.