Prince George, B.C.- The Provincial Ministry of the Environment has released it’s second quarter report on enforcement and compliance.

During the second quarter, there were 6 orders issued, 22 administrative sanctions, 361 tickets issued and 8 court convictions for a combined total of more than $600 thousand dollars in fines, mor than half the amount of fines came from the conclusion of two cases:

 

West Fraser pleaded guilty to one count of depositing a deleterious substance to water frequented by fish. The court fined West Fraser $5,000 and ordered payment of $65,000 to the University of Northern British Columbia and $60,000 to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation for the purposes of conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat. The investigation revealed that West Fraser had not been duly diligent in the maintenance of the Eurocan Pulpmill's effluent treatment system, resulting in the spill of untreated effluent into a tributary of the Kitimat River.

 

Canadian National Railway Company (CN) pleaded guilty to one count under the Federal Fisheries Act in relation to the derailment of a CN train into the Cheakamus River in August 2005. CN was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay $350,000 to promote the conservation of fish habitat in the Squamish watershed. The derailment caused a release of 45,000 litres of sodium

hydroxide spilling into the river, killing approximately half a million fish.

 

Pinnacle Pellet Meadowbank was ticketed for two infractions under the Environmental Management Act at the Strathnaver facility south of Hixon. One ticket was for  $575 for “Introduce waste into the environment without complying with permit or approval held” and the other , also for $575 was for “Fail to comply with terms of permit or approval”.