Prince George, B.C. - The Ministry of Environment has released the first Quarterly Compliance and Enforcement Summary for 2009.

 The summary reports on compliance and enforcement actions taken across the entire ministry between Jan. 1, 2009 and March 31, 2009. It outlines:

 

* 3 orders issued to prevent or stop impacts to the environment, human health or safety. 

 

Two of those orders were to Worthington Mackenzie.

 

The first was a Spill Prevention Order issued to ensure that the mill would be maintained in a "warm shutdown" mode to prevent the spill or escape of chemicals. The order  required that the company: (1) maintain heat to key areas of the mill where chemicals are contained; (2) maintain electricity supply to the mill to ensure pumps, monitoring equipment and other critical devices remain operational; (3) maintain a sufficient number of trained staff onsite at all times to ensure security, monitoring and equipment operation; and (4) submit a comprehensive chemical spill prevention plan to ministry staff.

 

The second order to Worthington Mackenzie saw the Environment Minister issued an Emergency Declaration at the pulp mill to ensure that the site would be appropriately staffed to continue the maintenance of the mill and to meet the conditions set out in the above Spill Prevention Order. These actions were taken to prevent, lessen and/or control a potential release of contaminants to the environment and to protect human health and safety.

 

 

Of there 320 tickets issued, two were to a Prince George company.   Centre City Paving was issued a ticket under section 6(2) of the Environmental Management Act “Introduce waste into the environment in the course of industry, trade or business”.  The second ticket was issued for a violation of the Environmental Management Act 120(13) “Contravenes regulation specifying quantity and characteristics of waste introduced into environment.” Each infraction carries a fine of $575 .

 

The report also notes there were 47 administrative licensing sanctions taken against individual or commercial hunters or anglers for committing certain offences and there were 11 court convictions.

 

These compliance actions resulted in a combined total of more than $97,000 in fines during the first quarter of 2009.