Prince George, B.C. – B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak has issued her first comments on the breach of the tailings pond at the Mt. Polley mine which sent about ten billion litres of water and millions of cubic metres of sludge cascading into lakes, rivers and creeks in the Cariboo.

Polak addressed residents in Likely, and then spoke during a conference call to advise that water samples taken from five locations on the Quesnel River on August 5th were tested and confirm that all samples meet provincial and federal drinking water guidelines for a second day.  Those results have prompted Interior Health to partially rescind the no-use water ban imposed following the breach.

Polak says ministry staff have also taken shore samples from Polley Lake and they have been set to the lab for testing.  The minister says “while it’s still unsafe to access the lake by boat to get samples from different depths and locations, these surface samples would be a good early indicator of whether or not the water meets drinking water guidelines.”  She expects test results during the weekend.  “We’re committed to getting full and accurate results as soon as we can.  All results will be posted online.  In addition we are working with the community and First Nations to ensure that where online posting isn’t sufficient, we have other means of communicating so they can get up-to-date information in a timely way.”

Regarding the Fraser River Polak says “while impacts to the Fraser are not expected, a sampling plan is being developed and that will see locations downstream from Quesnel Lake sampled, including the Fraser River.”  Polak says “water resulting from the breach is not expected to impact fish currently in or entering the Fraser River.”   The minister adds she is encouraged by results of testing on the Fraser, adding “there is nothing at this stage to indicate that there would be long-term effects, but we of course have to be cautious about human health and we’ll be working with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to deal with any habitat restoration or protection that needs to take place, either here near to Quesnel Lake or further afield on the Fraser, whatever that means.  Right now encouraging results, but we are not out of the woods yet.”

There appears to be a discrepancy between the ministry release Polak spoke from and what she had to say during the conference call regarding Polley Lake.  The ministry media release says “Due to public safety issues posed by a potential release of further sediment and debris that has built up at Polley Lake, the Ministry of Environment has approved Imperial Metals’ plan to reduce the water level by constructing a pipeline to Hazeltine Creek which will flow downstream into Quesnel Lake.  This water will be tested daily.”  And, as reported earlier by 250 News, Imperial continues to install pipelines and pumps in order to pump water out of Polley Lake.  The water level of the lake rose when the tailings pond breached as a wall of sludge is blocking its natural outflow.  There are concerns the wall could give way, sending another wall of water down Hazeltine Creek.

When asked about the plan to pipe water from Polley Lake to Hazeltine Creek and into Quesnel Lake, Polak says “the concern we heard was “why on earth would you do that when you don’t know the toxicity”?  “They’re absolutely right and so our commitment to them has been that that will not occur until such time as we can verify through testing that the water that we would be sending down there would be of drinking water quality.”  When pointed out that the release says the ministry has approved the piping plan and that the pipeline is currently being constructed, Polak said “not until there is testing that shows that whatever it is that comes down that pipe is of drinking water quality.”