Native Groups Sending Mt Polley Samples For Independent Testing
(Photo Courtesy Cariboo Regional District)
Prince George, B.C. – A native band whose people are directly affected by the breach of the Mt. Polley mine tailings pond is taking its own water and sludge samples and having them tested to determine the levels of toxicity in the environment in the wake of Monday's disaster.
Initial test results from samples taken from Quesnel Lake and the Quesnel River by the Environment Ministry indicated that the water of Quesnel Lake is of drinking quality. However a partial water-use ban remains in place for up to 200 people because further, more in-depth testing is required.
The Williams Lake Indian Band gathered water samples this week and is now looking for an independent lab to process those samples and come in with its own findings. The band’s Archaeology Co-ordinator, Adam Kantakis, tells 250 News “from four locations we have eight samples that we’ve taken on Quesnel Lake. I’ve GPSed the locations as well so I have a map of where they were taken. We’re just trying to find where to send them and how best to send them” (for testing and results). He says the Xatsull (Soda Creek) First Nation also has monitors who are involved in testing the areas devastated by this environmental disaster.
Asked why the Williams Lake Band is having its own samples tested he says “they just want their own independent review just so we get the entire picture, because it may not be provided by the mine or by the government.”
Kantakis gave further clarification of where his samples were collected. “We took the samples right at the mouth of Hazeltine Creek where it spilled out into the lake and it was fairly murky water so we’re going to get a fairly good representative sample of particulates in the water right now. And we did get one further down on the Quesnel River that’s about eight kilometers after the lake.”
Kantakis says while it’s important to determine the levels of toxicity in the waterways affected by the Mt. Polley disaster, he agrees that it is equally important to conduct tests of the millions of cubic metres of toxic sludge that was swept out of the tailings pond. “I had thought about that as well and on Monday we’re going to be heading up there. There is plenty of sludge just sitting at the mouth of Hazeltine Creek so I was just going to scoop a bucket full of that as well.”
Asked whether he is concerned about possible threats to his health while collecting these samples he told us “for the water samples anyways we’ve got gloves on because our hands are pretty much going in the water but when we’re collecting sludge we’re probably going to have to wear more expansive, protective clothing because we don’t know what’s in that sludge. I just wanted to put my feet on the ground there at the mouth of Hazeltine and it’s about a foot to two feet deep of that sludge on top of the natural sediment there so there were some spots that I could walk through with my knee-length rubber boots, but there were other areas, because I didn’t want that stuff touching my skin, so I would only go where I could walk, but it’s pretty deep and mucky there.”
We asked him if the band plans on taking water samples from other spots, such as Polley Lake, which were hit by the spill. “The issue with getting to Polley Lake right now is that no one can get to it because when the tailings pond released it released into Polley Lake but then it dammed up on Polley Lake so there is now another dam on Polley Lake and the lake is 1.7 metres higher than it should be. If that breaks it’s going to push more garbage down into the system as well. And they said just don’t go to Polley Lake. Well the lake essentially is just dead, they killed it before.”
Kantakis says nobody is being permitted to put a boat on Polley Lake at this time for any purpose. Asked whether samples couldn’t be obtained safely from the shoreline he says “right now there is also access concerns because the only sort of road access that’s not directly from the mine site, from the east side of Polley Lake, they’ve trenched it off and put barricades across the road so we could quad in, but it’s a good five kilometers worth of road that they’re not allowing access to.” He says there are “Ministry of Environment notices on the barricades.”
Kantakis says as an archaeologist he has some concerns resulting from the tailings pond breach. “I did a little archaeological search of the area and it looks like potentially four archaeological sites have been wiped out. I don’t think much attention has been paid to that, obviously, because the environment has definitely taken a hit first. I don’t think there are any major sites (that have been hit). There is one trail corridor there and some minor lithic scatters, maybe somebody that was hunting a couple thousand years ago, but it's still something that has been impacted by this disaster.”
Comments
There is an independent water testing lab in Prince Rupert. I contacted them a couple of years ago as I was trying to have my tap water tested every so often.
If the water from the spill is harmless and if the sludge which was flushed out is equally benign one may ask the question why there was a need for a tailing pond in the first place.
In any case, good on the First Nations that they will get their own samples tested. If they turn out the same as those from the government, great!
Can we trust the integrity of these samples? Are their containers benign and sterial?
Need an unbiased company to correctly gather these samples and test them.
DPJ, this is about making sure the water is safe to consume. Would you not also want that? Would you trust this government with this? I applaud the natives for this. Just hope they collected the samples correctly so the results are accurate.
Exactly Seamut. Did they hire someone to come in and test or did they fill up a water bottle and send it in.
DPJ confirms yet again that he is the biggest racist native hater on this site.
Mr Kantakis: If they have Polley lake that guarded up I would suggest a little hiking trip and get there for samples if you have to walk through the bush. Good luck!
Often it is not WHAT they test for, but what they do NOT test for.
Tailings from copper/gold mines contain all kinds of nasty stuff. If one decides not to test for a particular poison, of course one will not find evidence of it.
Singling out the FNs for suspicion of tampering is unreasonable and very unfair since we do not know how much above board ANY testing and sampling procedure might be!
Just a reminder, of course.
It depends on what equipment they use for testing.. I would guess a LC liquid chromatograph . We use them at work and if you know what to look for then can be a very precise.
But has been mentioned before, the sample must be taken correctly for the results to be considered reliable. Sterile gloves used, sterile container, sealed immediately after sample is taken, correctly labeled with all specifies of where, when etc.
We are all hoping for the best.. But under the circumstances expecting the worst.
It shows where we are as a society when we can’t trust the companies results, won’t trust the governments results and don’t trust anything either of them say.
Must go to independent lab.
Here we go lets take some more tests, Oh and also have a independent inquiry , So we can get Justus or what ever the hell that might be. it is OK the Tax Payer will pay, aren’t we wonderful…
Im in pg for the day, you should come say hi!!!
It shows where we are as a society when we can’t trust the companies results, won’t trust the governments results and don’t trust anything either of them say.
I agree P Val. We’ve been lied to, too many times to count and as a result no one can count on the other guy to have their back. I say good on the Natives for doing their own test results and I think they should be done on a regular basis in the next few months and sent to different labs each time using different techniques and looking for all toxins that can be tested for. Best to be as thorough as possible. The results will undoubtedly be variable, and it will be interesting to see in which respects…
Pg did you not see the test results , what is missing.
“…. what is missing.”
Cyanide,for instance. Fluorides.
The strontium and manganese readings are very high.
Notice that no *all clear* has been issued. It is because nobody knows by how much the test results may vary from one day to the next. They could be lower or catastrophically high.
As for being skeptical read Junco above, please. The government itself demands that all the sludge which escaped must be removed and the environment made safe! Safe from the obvious! Already the company is saying that it does have insurance but that the amount of insurance will not cover the total cost involved. The taxpayer will be on the hook for the difference.
Aaaand the BCGEU gave the NDP 1.4 million. Free enterprise donates to Liberal/Conservative and unions donate to NDP. 13 of the 20 largest donations to the NDP were from unions, this after Dix ‘hinted’ that he would do away with secret ballot for new union certification.
As long as we have the party’s raising funds this way that is how the game is played.
PrinceGeorge fluoride goes in drinking water not tailings ponds.
The water carries the tailings from the mine to the pond in suspension and then the tailings are no longer suspended and the water is pumped out, that is why you see mountains of tailings in the pond after the water ran out. The water release is at the opposite end from the point of injection. The water is tested before it is released to make sure the particles in suspension have settled.
Add almost $300,000 more to the BC Liberal Party from Imperial Metals, Pylot Project.
I think it prudent that the Williams Lake Band seeks independent water testing. A relationship has tight as this Liberal Government and this corporation cannot be trusted.
In fact watch as this Liberal Government puts on kids gloves to hold Imperial Metals hand through-out this mess.
http://thetyee.ca/News/2014/08/09/Imperial-Metals-Monetary-Gifts/
*Notice a familiar name in the article, who happens to be a guest columnist on this site occasionally?
“Free enterprise donates to Liberal/Conservative and unions donate to NDP”
Nice try Slinky. There’s nothing “free” about the relationship between big corp. and the Liberals (or more accurately, the Socreds with Liberal name tags)
Cyanide ?
Slinky:”PrinceGeorge fluoride goes in drinking water not tailings ponds.”
There is naturally occurring fluoride in some areas of B.C., it occurs in some rock formation. If it exceeds water safety guidelines people are advised not to consume their well water and use bottled water instead. However, perhaps they did not look for it in the tailing ponds. Some chemical and mining processes liberate fluoride ore.
“Cyanide”?
Common minerals and elements found in tailings include: Arsenic – Found in association with gold ores: Barite, Calcite, Fluorite, Radioactive materials, Mercury, Sulfur, Cadmium.
Common additives found in tailings:
Cyanide – as both sodium cyanide (NaCN) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Sodium Ethyl Xanthate. Flotation agent.
PAX – Potassium Amyl Xanthate. Flotation agent. MIBC – Methyl Isobutyl Carbinol. Frothing agent.
Sulfamic acid – Cleaning / descaling agent.
Sulfuric acid – Used in large quantities in the PAL process (Pressure Acid Leaching).
And more, depending on the process.
How about your common drinking water. This stuff surrounds you. Again read the report on levels and dilution.
Your car sits in the hot sun. All the plastic, glues, fabric is gassing off. Just think of what chemicals you are breathing in. Think of all the chemicals in your beer?
Levels think levels.
Got any radon in your house?
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