Mt. Polley Investigation Details Expected Soon
Likely, B.C. – The Ministry of Mines is hopeful of having some information on the investigation into the Mount Polley tailings pond breach available by the end of this week. “We are still finalizing the processes to be put in place to complete the investigations with a strong component of independence, and also to complete the inspection of all tailings dams with a strong component of independence” says Mines Minister Bill Bennett.
Bennett says it is more complicated than what most would have expected. “The Mines Act and other pieces of legislation on the environmental side, really prescribe how investigations must be done.”
Bennett says the people who carry out such investigations are, as is the case with conservation officers, statutorily separate from the executive end of government. “Our concern is of course that we not create a process that may meet the test of public credibility but undermine the legal capacity some point down the line to lay charges and prosecute those charges.”
Comments
It’s unfortunate but most of these events always come down to a decision made sometime in the past to put the memo concerning a warning on the “to do” list.
In 2011, they were warned that the holding lake was getting too full. Was anything done in that time to address this?
Human error is the likely culprit.
Doesn’t anyone read anymore? The tailings pond levels were brought down to spec far in advance of the breach, that story was about a week ago
slinky-The tailings pond levels were brought down to spec.—Says who? Do you have proof?Instead of pond they should have said lake.
Sigh, ok…
blog/view/32914/1/mt+polley+inspection+history+released?id=143&st=45
“On May 24, 2014 the ministry issued an advisory to Mount Polley Mining Corporation for exceedance of the height of effluent within the tailings impoundment. The effluent level returned to authorized levels commencing June 30, 2014.”
“At the time of the advisory, the distance between the water elevation and the crest of the dam (freeboard) was less than one meter. The tailings pond level returned to authorized levels and freeboard was approximately 2.4 meters when last measured. Mine records show that the operation was carrying out visual dam inspections and measuring freeboard at an acceptable frequency, including daily measurements following the incident.”
blog/view/32894/1/bennett+calls++on+locals+to+tell+their+mine+stories?id=143&st=60
“The one order in May of this year which called on Imperial Metals to reduce the level of water in the tailings pond was based on a concern the water would spill over the top of the dam, not that the pressure would force the wall of the dam to collapse.”
This is not proof–This is a Politician talking.I think there will be many other true stories.
Aliens did it.
Comments for this article are closed.