Williams Lake Mayor Urges Action on Mt. Polley Permit
Williams Lake, B.C. – Unacceptable.
That’s how Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb describes the provincial government’s delay in granting a water discharge permit to Mount Polley Mine.
He described his frustrations during a teleconference from council chambers this afternoon.
From left, Williams Lake City Councillor Craig Smith, Councillor Jason Ryll, and Mayor Walt Cobb – photo courtesy City of Williams Lake
“We have reached a critical point in the mine’s ability to operate,” said Cobb. “This permit was first scheduled to arrive on October 15, then it was moved to October 30, then to November 15 and now possibly the end of this month.”
Water and tailings are currently being pumped into Springer pit for storage, and according to the Ministry of Environment water levels are currently at 1023.52 metres above sea level.
The water level to which operations are permitted is 1030 metres, which Cobb called “deeply concerning.”
“Many of the 266 employees have just returned, or will be returning to work, from a year ago,” he said.
“And we are concerned for their ability to enjoy certainty over the holiday, to provide for their families, for their ability to rely on a long term sustainable job. And for our community, which depends on these workers to support our local businesses.”
Cobb noted the delay is even more unnecessary considering the mine has put in place a $2 million filtration plant.
“There’s absolutely no environmental impact with the discharge of this water,” he said.
“With these economic times, approximately 1,000 direct and indirect jobs are in jeopardy just before Christmas. I urge the statutory decision makers to do what is necessary and approve this permit immediately.”
Cobb’s concerns echoed a letter City Council sent to Premier Christy Clark last week.
“Unless the permit is issued immediately, Mount Polley will experience another breach,” the letter read. “Further delay will be catastrophic- environmentally, economically, and socially. The blame for this will be solely with the Ministry.”
Meanwhile in an email to 250News, the ministry said a statutory decision maker will make the decision based on input from experts, “free from political interference.”
“Both public safety and protection of the environment is paramount which is why the ministry is actively monitoring water levels in Springer Pit, while a decision is being made on the discharge permit. The company is providing weekly updates on the level within the Springer Pit, and the ministry is in frequent contact with the company on this matter.”
The ministry adds a final decision is expected by the end of this month.
Comments
Its enviromentalists and INDIANS that are holding it up and the government bending to their wishes instead of seeing how much the company has done to remedy the disastor
The provincial government, by granting the temporary permit to discharge into the Springer Pit, then delaying the decision to discharge into Quesnel Lake three times has taken the cowardly way out.
Now they don’t have to make a decision about environment versus economics – allow the discharge permit and anger the First Nations and environmentalists, or don’t and anger local businesses and elected officials.
Now the decision is out of their hands – they HAVE to allow the discharge to avoid a worst case scenario that they – the provincial government and Mt. Polley created. Purposely?? We’ll never know.
Finally, the government is being cautious with our environment after a catastrophic environmental disaster to which no actual blame has been assigned!
Now the only postings are racist slagging of those that are and will be affected by it.
Give your head a shake little person. This delay of permit is permitting due diligence on the part of all parties involved.
Sure they installed a new filter, but has it been tested, authorized and properly commissioned per standard engineering best practices?
It is about time that ecology takes its rightful place with economy.
Montreal and Victoria can dump billions of liters of raw sewage into our oceans, what’s so special about Quesnel Lake?
It is a bit too far from the nearest ocean.
Loki there was no catastrophic environmental disaster. UNBC is still looking for the disaster, must be there somewhere.
You mean that if one were to simply google “mt polley”, there would not be an article containing the word disaster?
https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Polley_mine_disaster
Loki, come on, fess up! Did you post that article on Wikipedia? ;-)
This is commonly considered blackmail.. If we don’t get the permits we may have another toxic spill. After the last environmental catastrophe mount polled must be put under the microscope to make sure they have done what they said they would.
My concern is that the mine was even opened before all the permits for this operation where received. After the disaster last year it’s crazy to have let this mind open without them.
As for the difference axman it’s called dilution..not saying it’s right but it’s a big difference dumping into a ocean than a lake. At least Montreal has a new plant to deal with their problem, Victoria just keeps on polluting.. A proud capital city.
Years ago a Washington State community across from Victoria had a mascot walking the streets of Victoria. He was called Mr. Floatie. Yup, the mascot was a turd. There was a story on the news awhile ago that they are contemplating bringing Mr. Floatie back again.
Way to go Walt,us old miners are behind you even though it appears that with certain new court rulings we are becoming a sunset industry.Its too bad all of the “Do Gooders” around the Province haven’t stopped in Fraser Lake, after our Endako Mine shut down and had a chat with us to see what the good times are all about.Turning the lights out don’t pay the bills.
poor gold miner… that is exactly the thinking that has brought ruin to our environment.. its all about jobs the environment be damned.. I am sure you thought the massive spill by mount polley is just a risk of doing business.. well its not.. Some of us with kids are worried about their future.. we want them to be able to breathe the air, drink water from a stream while out in nature.. you obviously have no problem ruining the environment for a few jobs.. there are repercussions for your ignorance… and your kids and kids kids will be paying the price.
Loki I sure hope you don’t take anything you read in Wiki as gospel. It seems you have no idea of its issues with article rewrites to conform with a consensus.
Loki I read that article and had to laugh about its reference to a waste land in the area. You actually read that crap without giving it any critical thought, so sad. Is Mount ST. Helens area a waste land. Hey this area greened after the glaciers melted.
Hey the salmon in Quesnel Lake in the area of the spill are the biggest ever seen there, feeding off the biologicals washed into the lake.
The tailings pond water was almost drinkable and UNBC researchers had a difficult time finding elevated metal levels over natural levels.
Every spring natural runoff around Quesnel Lake dumps a lot more material into the lake than Mt. Polly.
Pval quit with the kids stuff that’s a sorry assed Greenpeace funding slogan.
If we are getting that close to another spill at Mt Polly one would think that the Company, workers, and the Mayor of Williams Lake would shut this operation down until the necessary permits are issued.
Playing Russian roulette with this situation, or trying to put pressure on the Government to issue permits before they are ready to do so, is not a solution.
This would be a good opportunity for the Unions, Company, and the Residents of the Williams Lake area, to show that they too are concerned citizens, corporate and otherwise.
Seamutt, so then you are saying there is no need to worry about the environment? Feels like it..
I hope you enjoy the salmon from quesnel lake.. Nothing like sludge eating fish to make the salmon have that special glow and taste :)
Also that’s a nice made up statement of the runoff into quesnel lake.. First off the 4.5 million cubic meters is concentrated so it’s labelled toxic… It needs special environmental permits to be discharged.. Would you walk outside when it’s raining toxic rain..well you might..but no one else would..
Shut the mine down immediately. Have the company get its ducks in a row..including the water treatment plant..then open up. do it right..not fast and dirty. I think one disaster is enough..guess you don’t.
Seamutt likes open netpen farmed salmon and hates wind powered electrical generation because it kills a few birds. More birds are killed by domestic cats than any windmill.
A news article on another site states that EVEN IF the mine shuts down today, if the discharge permit is not granted, there will be a failure.
Total incompetence on the provincial government and the mining company’s parts.
Now they HAVE to grant the permits and can’t properly take into consideration First Nation and environmental concerns.
Personally, I feel this was deliberate on the government’s part. IF not deliberate, then they are completely incompetent.
Either way, with them managing major environmental decisions for our province, I am frightened.
And, yes, we need the jobs. But not at such a high environmental cost.
When all the trees have been cut down,
When all the animals have been killed,
When all the waters are polluted,
When all the air is unsafe to breathe,
Only then will you discover you can not
Eat money
– CREE PHROPHECY
Pval can you back up your post with some facts and data?
I like farmed salmon, nothing wrong with it. Great on the barby. I also like farmed chicken, free range just like the salmon.
So it’s okay for inefficent costly wind farms to kill hundreds of thousands of birds. Now let a couple of dozen birds die in a settling pond all he’ll breaks loose. Hey wind farms can even get permits to kill eagles, how irrational is that.
Here sweet pussy, go kill kill kill.
Ice you okay? I take you know nothing about historic nomadic native camps.
Dear Opinion250, why are you allowing racist comments to stand? Please remove them.
As for this news story, I am finding it rather inadequate. You have a mayor criticizing Provincial oversight of an environmental process for which few details are provided. There isn’t even any balance provided from the regulating authority. Rather disappointing for a news source that often does good work.
I should qualify my remarks a bit as they are not quite fair to Opinion250 – there is some balance to the story provided by the regulator. I was just hoping for more comment relating to the timeline for review, as it would help me assess the validity of the mayor’s comments.
PVal said” Seamutt, so then you are saying there is no need to worry about the environment? Feels like it..”
Just pointing out the miss information from the spill and the big words used to describe what luckily turned out to be generally a none event.
Lots of thumbs down but no refuting my facts, typical just irrational emotion.
About fish farming, the truth with facts
http://fair-questions.com/suzuki/
A non-event.. are you kidding me.. 4.5 million cubic meters of sludge containing arsenic etc.. do you really think there wont be repercussions for years if not decades.. something we cant measure but anyone with half a clue knows we havent seen the total impact yet..but we will.
I guess fracking is good to… the wells of the people around all the areas are drying up..earthquakes, tremors or undrinkable etc.. another non-event in your eyes.. open them and see whats really happening.
If fish from farms are so great why are the companies always mislabelling them as non-farmed.. that speaks volumes alone.
Pval in this case read the data instead of information from some freeloading extremist greenie. Years of issues, where did get that information? Except for emotional rhetoric you have not provided any data to back up your claimes.
So then the 4.5 million cubic meters of sludge that the company said they lost to the water shed isnt data.. from the company that owns the mine.. well if their numbers wont appease your need for real numbers or data then nothing will.
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