The president of the company involved in the Mount Polley environmental disaster that poured millions of cubic metres of mine tailings into B.C. waterways 10 years ago says the material spilled wasnB次元官网网址檛 toxic.
Imperial Metals Corp. and two other firms were charged last month with 15 alleged Fisheries Act breaches, accused of allowing a B次元官网网址渄eleterious substanceB次元官网网址� from the mineB次元官网网址檚 tailings pond into several bodies of water.
But Imperial Metals president Brian Kynoch says the mine tailings were B次元官网网址渂enign,B次元官网网址� and the breach released traces of elements like copper and arsenic that are naturally occurring.
Kynoch says no waters were poisoned by the spill, and testing showed that drinking water guidelines were not exceeded and fish numbers bounced back in the years following the spill.
He says the companyB次元官网网址檚 lawyers have advised him not to speak publicly about the charges that Imperial is facing under the Fisheries Act, and Imperial Metals previously said after being charged that it did not intend to make public statements.
The Fisheries Act indictment says the companiesB次元官网网址� work B次元官网网址渞esulted in serious harm to fish that are part of a commercial, recreational or Aboriginal fishery.B次元官网网址�
The catastrophic collapse of the tailings dam in the B.C. Interior sent about 17 million cubic metres of water and 8 milliong cubic metres of tailings from the copper and gold mine surging into waterways including Polley and Quesnel lakes on Aug. 4, 2014.
Some scientists say there have been years of environmental impact at the site.
Greg Pyle, an aquatic eco-toxicologist and professor emeritus at the University of Lethbridge, has published research showing tiny invertebrates that form the basis of the aquatic food chain displayed elevated metal accumulation at sites affected by the spill, and he has called it one of the B次元官网网址渕ost contaminated sites in the country.B次元官网网址�
Kynoch said in an interview that the physical damage caused by the tailings pond failure isnB次元官网网址檛 in question, but he said water and fish testing data collected in the aftermath showed fears of toxicity didnB次元官网网址檛 come to pass.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e spent millions of dollars on testing and itB次元官网网址檚 kind of like itB次元官网网址檚 ignored,B次元官网网址� Kynoch said. B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 had a fish sample that didnB次元官网网址檛 pass the test for it being edible.B次元官网网址�
He said the company recognizes the cultural importance of fish to nearby First Nations, and B次元官网网址渨orked diligentlyB次元官网网址� to keep them informed as they worked to remediate and reopen the mine.
He said mining companies around the world, and particularly in B.C., are aware of the importance of relationships with local First Nations and local residents and to keep them B次元官网网址渕ore involved in the process.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淣o matter what we do, accidents can still happen,B次元官网网址� Kynoch said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of effort was put into tailings. B次元官网网址� Anything we engineer, anything we design, no matter how much you do it, thereB次元官网网址檚 still risk and so we need to do all we can to mitigate the risk.B次元官网网址�
Since the dam failure, Kynoch said the company successfully did a trial of B次元官网网址渄ry stackingB次元官网网址� tailings at the mine, which means theyB次元官网网址檙e not subject to flowing away like those stored in liquid.
He said the dry stacking method is an B次元官网网址渆volutionB次元官网网址� of tailings storage.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檒l be more solid, I think, and lots of mines in the world are headed that way,B次元官网网址� he said.
While heB次元官网网址檚 constrained from speaking on the charges for alleged fisheries violations, Kynoch said the company didnB次元官网网址檛 B次元官网网址渞un awayB次元官网网址� after the tailings pond failure.
B次元官网网址淲e stayed. We fixed the creek. We spent our money,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 actually proud of that part of it. The fish are back there in the creeks and spawning.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e faced the music and fixed up the creek from my perspective,B次元官网网址� he said.
