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[dennyman]

I have been following this one as I am now in the Prince George area. The amount of water released by the tailing pond failing is estimated at 10 million liters of water plus 5 million cubic metres of toxic waste.  Speculation is that this spill will hit the Fraser River, but what longterm effect it will have on the river is anyone's guess. The toxic waste contained in the pond included many, many poisonous and toxic substances ranging from aresenic, lead, cadmium, cobalt, phosphorous, mercury and selenium and this is not the complete list. A sad day indeed not only for those who  care about the streams and rivers in this province , but the salmon stocks this spill will have a devastating effect on as they try and make their way up small creeks and streams to spawn.

[RyanB]

I won't be eating any fish that travel through that area.  The mercury alone is enough to give you lifelong health problems.

I would also want to see independent third-party testing of fish in the area of the spill (lol, right).

Just like the sawmill fires, they'll get a slap on the wrist and if we get sick, tough luck.
   

[VAGAbond]

I get so upset about our corporation these days, most of them, who never admit to causing damage or an error.  In this case, the situation has been "stabilized" they say.  Yah, all the tailings have gone down the river, nothing left to go.  I hope they have shut their operation down tight so they are not continuing to produce effluent.

They are also quoted as saying the breach is "small" relative to the size of the containment.  OK, the containment dam is 8 miles and the breach is only a few hundred yards but it can hardly be characterized as small.

This is an accident that should never have happened. Geotechnical engineers have the capability to avoid such events if given appropriate resources.

Some professional engineers are going to be in big trouble as the Association of Professional Engineers and Geologists takes events like this very seriously.  But that is probably about all that will happen.  After years of investigation the company will be fined a pittance.

My view:  when an event like this occurs, the company loses it's social license and the entire operation should be forfeit to the crown to be auctioned to competitors for damages to society.  Do this A few times and these events will stop.  We don't have laws to permit this but we should get them.

Company management at the highest level should be looking at jail  Make no mistake, company management must be held responsible.  It has been reported they were having trouble with high runoff this year.  Did they shut their operation down until they had it under control?  Did they even determine that they really had it under control?

This is only one of several large tailings pond hanging above the Fraser.  I have often wondered how secure the others are such as the giant above Ashcroft.

The effects of these tailings can last for decades.  There was a little copper mine on Mt. Washington near the ski hill in the late 50s.  It employed about 10 men for a couple of years.  Acid runoff from the tailings has sterilized the Tsolum river ever since.   Carolin Mines Etc.etc.

End of rant.

[chris gadsden]

http://www.theprogress.com/news/270043531.html?mobile=true

Also building these 2 pipe lines in BC will now be in question even more.

[banx]

My view:  when an event like this occurs, the company loses it's social license and the entire operation should be forfeit to the crown to be auctioned to competitors for damages to society.  Do this A few times and these events will stop.  We don't have laws to permit this but we should get them.

Company management at the highest level should be looking at jail  Make no mistake, company management must be held responsible.  It has been reported they were having trouble with high runoff this year.  Did they shut their operation down until they had it under control?  Did they even determine that they really had it under control?

I think that's a brilliant idea.

[ajransom]

x2.

If the govt doesnt set an example, and make penalties SIGNIFICANTLY higher for violators, nothing will change...

[bigblockfox]

just imagine if you had a cabin on quesnel lake or a resort. those poor people had their property value go down to nothing overnight. i hope the mine gives these small business and property owners some assistance. if i had property there i would be suing for sure. imperial metals stock shrunk in half over night. at least the people who invest in dirty projects had the wallets hit. hopefully over time it can become what it was before the spill.

im totally with you guys on changes need to happen.

[Ambassador]

imperial metals stock shrunk in half over night. at least the people who invest in dirty projects had the wallets hit. hopefully over time it can become what it was before the spill.

Their stock has stabilized today (Hey, the water is nearly drinkable, right  ). If I was a greasy investor looking to make money with no remorse or care of the destruction I was funding - now looks like a good time to buy as the stocks will likely go back to where they were before this disaster they are calling a "Business interruption" in corporate circles.

My guess is that one or two engineers will get dragged through the mud and fired, the stakeholders will dodge any criminal responsibility, and the mine will resume operations far faster than you can imagine, and all will be back to normal - with the exception of the once-pristine and now cursed land that they have destroyed for generations.

From Imperial Metals press release:
Mount Polley mine has been placed on care and maintenance, and business interruption and physical damage insurers have been notified. While the damaged area is relatively small compared to the overall size of the dam, it is not known at this time how long it will take to restore operations.

[Ambassador]

At least the people who invest in dirty projects had the wallets hit.

N. Murray Edwards owns over 1/3 of this company and is the largest individual stakeholder in the Alberta Oil Sands. I believe the word "Environment" means something different to him.

[bigblockfox]

my old man was telling me that yesterday, just couldn't remember if it was 1/3 or 1/4. if everyone bought in that stock for cheap it still means he most of lost a cupcakes load right? to bad the damage that was done couldn't be reversed so fast.

[andrew5]

Good god this is horrific news. I am at my wit's end over the utter lack of care about our environment from the government. It makes me even more upset to see our Premier push so hard on LNG, and our Prime Minister threatening to push the pipeline projects through.

Canada used to be leaders in environmental policy, now we are the butt of jokes at international environmental conferences.

Harper removing the "navigable waters" protection act. lobbying to take humpback whales off the endangered species list to pave the way for oil tankers, and now this...

I feel terrible for the affected area, but the scary thing is, no one knows how big that area really is yet...

Does anyone know if this is going to significantly impact the Fraser? could you even imagine our Province with the Fraser River full of this stuff, and effectively toxic? It drains the majority of our province...

Makes me think of the Cheakamus / Squamish train accident a while back too. These disasters have to stop.

I hope someone wiser than me on here has an idea of what myself and others can do to make our voices heard. I have never written my MP, but honestly would feel immoral and hypocritical if I didn't start doing something.

If anyone knows where to start in terms of supporting our fisheries and environment in a manner more than just ranting on a forum, please let me know. I'm all ears.

-end of rant -

[BBarley]

What I love is these heroic politicians who seem to pop into your lives at election times wearing shiny new hard hats, promising jobs, jobs, jobs in the resource sector, all of a sudden disappear into some cave when any kind of disaster breaks out.

As for the spill, my thinking is most of the "slurry" that washed into the lakes will most likely precipitate out to the bottom before reaching any major river.... While that is terrible news for Quesnel Lake and Polley Lake, it should save the Fraser river from coating its banks with mine tailings.

Seems to be the general progression of business in the province though lately, hack and slash regulation to let business' thrive. Exploding mills, failing tailings dams, whats next...... bursting pipelines?

[swimmingwiththefishes]

What I love is these heroic politicians who seem to pop into your lives at election times wearing shiny new hard hats, promising jobs, jobs, jobs in the resource sector, all of a sudden disappear into some cave when any kind of disaster breaks out.

As for the spill, my thinking is most of the "slurry" that washed into the lakes will most likely precipitate out to the bottom before reaching any major river.... While that is terrible news for Quesnel Lake and Polley Lake, it should save the Fraser river from coating its banks with mine tailings.

Seems to be the general progression of business in the province though lately, hack and slash regulation to let business' thrive. Exploding mills, failing tailings dams, whats next...... bursting pipelines?

On the ball BBarley with this one. If only the politicians and to a degree the people of BC could actually set some standards and be able to say no to these corps. The Americans are much better at this than us in many cases.

[Burbot]

x2.

If the govt doesnt set an example, and make penalties SIGNIFICANTLY higher for violators, nothing will change...

Yet according to this article the government warned them for years and in typical BC Liberal fashion did nothing.

Mount Polley mine tailings pond breach followed years of government warnings

[arimaBOATER]

Unbelievable!
One post mentioned the idea of how could a company rely on a dirt wall to contain such a toxic mix of mercury lead on & on...
No back up plan.

In a Fed Pen the guards are smart enough to build proper security fences.
They do not reason the average inmate is 6 ft so we will build a fence 10ft tall & stick razor wire at the top.
No they build a 20 ft fence with razor wire & 30 ft away build another fence with razor wire.
Plus guard towers,night lights & security veicles driving about. Containment.

So here is this mining company building only one dirt mount to contain such a toxic mix ?
WTH !!!

Where is a second dirt mount incase there is a breach?
Where is another empty pond in the ready to catch a spill ?
Pipes & pumping stations ,another empty pond in the ready for a safety back up. No brainer.

Plus this accident was basically waiting to happen as there were WARNINGS.

This crap will settle in the lower depths of Quesnel Lake ( very very deep lake )
Plus a lot will be going into the Fraser. Fish will be affected.

I would eat zero out of Quesnel Lake because it is now under a pollution curse.
We BC people & the environment have just been spit on ( in our face )

Like the leaky condo issue kicked owners in butt this spill has kicked our province ( Supernatural British Columbia )

1 million $ fine ?
That's the cost of one 20 year old home on a large lot in Richmond.
Big deal.

Clean up est. $200 million.
What clean up ? Impossible.
Are they going to empty Quesnel Lake & vacuum the bottom.
Oh ya clean only means to tidy up & remove the fallen down trees.
That deserves another "Big Deal"

Investors & people getting rich from this mine will not be retiring in a log cabin in that area but rather in some tourist mecca & surely not downstream from this spill.

No back up plan.
Manager of the mine says "Sorry"

Spill a gallon of fuel in Steveston Harbour & surely the powers that be will give you a big fine.
This mining spill reminds me of BP's oil rig leaks & the Exon Alaska spill.

When your GP or family doc takes your blood pressure do not reflect on this holding pond breach.
Your reading may be 180 over 140 ! Stage 3 hypertension.

Very weak guidelines for the environment.
One holding pond & after that all the crap goes into our waterways !!!

Have they heard of a possible earthquake.
A pea brain should reason there has to be extra walls & empty holding ponds in the ready.