Mount Polley Investigation Update
Prince George, B.C. – The B.C. Conservation Officer Service provided an update into the investigation of the Mount Polley tailings pond breach that occurred on Aug. 4, 2014 today.
“The investigation is continuing. The BC Conservation Officer Service, Fisheries and Oceans and Environmental and Climate Change Canada are conducting the investigation into the tailings bond breach at the Mount Polley site,” said COS deputy chief Chris Doyle.
“To date, evidence has been collected under the Provincial Environmental Management Act and the Federal Fisheries Act. All of the information gathered during the course of the investigation will be considered by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, should charges be recommended.”
Under B.C. law however, he confirmed the three-year statute of limitation deadline is this Friday. He couldn’t say whether charges would be laid by then. Doyle said the deadline to lay charges under the Federal Fisheries Act is five years.
He added the timeline for the investigation is “similar to other significant environmental investigations.”
“In general, the length of an investigation is dependent on the complexity of the occurrence and the amount of information that needs to be gathered and considered. And just a note: the federal and provincial governments take environmental protection seriously.”
B.C.’s Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman backed up Doyle’s assertion in a statement this afternoon calling the breach at Mount Polley “one of the worst environmental disasters in our province’s history” adding it had “tremendous consequences for the local economy and economy.
He also said he had “full confidence” in the investigation adding “I know that many concerned British Columbians join me in looking forward to the outcome of this important investigation.”
Comments
3 years is obscene. Our imposed system is completely in favour of the big guy. This company will walk away with a puny fisheries fine.
and if someone would open a can of oil and pour it down a city drain.. would be fines and possible jail time..
Don’t need to pour it down a drain. Visit most mechanical repair shops and look at their pressure washing systems.
So where was the huge environmental disaster?
Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman, the joker and his merry band of fools.
If it was up your rear end you would have felt it. But because you are tucked away in your cosy home well away from it while your cats are eating all your neighbourhood birds, it’s all good. Right,
Owner Murray Edwards has donated more than 400,000 dollars to the BC Liberal party since 2005 through Imperial metals and his oil sands company so what else can you expect from the previous liberal liars. Some of them should be doing jail time.
You would think after three years Of research this huge environmental disaster would have been found. I am still waiting.
No Charges being laid by the provincial government.
As I understand it the mine did not design or build the dam it was contracted out. Seems there was no or little government oversite in that process.
“A scathing report in May 2016 by auditor general Carol Bellringer concluded that almost all expectations for government compliance and enforcement in both the Mines and Environment ministries were inadequate and “not set up to protect the province from environmental risks.”
Seems to me there are some were or are in government that are responsible and I wonder if the mine is going after the designers.
Yes there was a flood but how does that compare to spring high water flows and fall rains over the whole lake for sediment deposit? The water behind the dam was almost drinking water quality and as I understand it diluted to existing lake mineral levels rather quickly.
If there was an ongoing problem I am sure there would be red flags up. UNBC so far seems not to have found an issue but asked for more money for more research to find a problem. Like I said no red flags.
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