Map  details plan for pipeline to  take pressure off Polley Lake – image courtesy Imperial Metals

Likely B.C.- Residents of Likely   are to receive more  water sample results later today.  These samples were taken the day after the tailings pond breach.

A Disaster Psycho-Social  Support team has been sent to  Likely  to  offer  residents emotional support  in the wake of the disaster.

Imperial Metals has outlined its initial actions in the wake of this week’s  tailings pond breach at its Mount Polley mine.

In addition to  the breach  sending millions of cubic meters of tailings pond water  and debris down Hazeltine creek into Quesnel Lake, the breach  caused a problem for Polley Lake as well.

Tailings sediment piled up near the outflow of Polley Lake, creating a dam that is  preventing Polley Lake’s natural drainage.  The water levels in that lake are  about 1.7 meters above the norm for this time of year.  There are concerns the pressure from the water will burst this new, sludge dam and send another rush of  water and sediment down  the  course of Hazeltine Creek  and into Quesnel Lake.

The company  has already started pumping water out of Polley Lake  and into  a pit on the mine site.  Imperial Metals will also build a pipeline that will allow Polley Lake to drain back into Hazeltine Creek  below the blockage.

There is a dyke being constructed inside the breach area of the tailings pond that will prevent any further leakage.   Mine workers have been called back to the site to assist in that construction.  The company is using rock that has already been blasted from the mine site.  Initial estimates say it could take  up to  3 weeks to complete that  construction.

Starting today, Imperial Metals will have  people going door to door  to residences along Mitchell Bay  offering assistance to clean up any debris that may be  along  private property.

Boom boats have already  corralled the larger floating masses of  wood,  that wood will be moved to the Fraser Mills haul out site.