Four years after the disaster, the mine has not paid a cent in fines. Not only does the toxic, copper-enriched tailings continue to live and seasonally resuspend around the deeps of Quesnel lake, but in spring 2017 the mine got permission from the B.C. government to discharge almost 60,000 cubic metres per day of “tailings slurry” into the lake.
Despite the terms of a permit that says this slurry must be treated, the company has been found out of compliance at least three times in 2018. (Mount Polley owner Imperial Metals did not respond to an interview request.)
Despite strong penalties on paper for breaking the permit terms, the province has to date issued only written warnings for breaking the law. (Under Section 120[6] of the B.C. Environmental Management Act, a permit holder breaking the rules is liable on conviction to a fine up to $1 million or imprisonment for up to six months, or both.) #bcpoli
https://thenarwhal.ca/year-four-tracing-mount-polleys-toxic-legacy/
