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Teck Metals effluent spill fine overview:
- Who: Vancouver mining company Teck Metals has been ordered to pay $2.2 million by the Provincial Court of British Columbia.
- Why: Teck Metals pleaded guilty to violating the federal Fisheries Act and the provincial Environmental Management Act by releasing effluent into the Columbia river in 2019.
- Where: The case was in the Provincial Court of British Columbia.
Vancouver mining company Teck Metals has been ordered to pay $2.2 million after pleading guilty to releasing effluent into the Columbia River in 2019.
Teck Metals pleaded guilty to two charges under the federal Fisheries Act and one charge under the provincial Environmental Management Act, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The penalty, which was levied in the Provincial Court of British Columbia, will include a federal fine of $2 million that will be given to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.
Teck Metals will have to pay an additional $200,000 fine over the provincial charges, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
In February 2019, employees at Teck Metals reported a spill of low pH effluent into the Columbia river that originated from its Trail Operations and Trail, with a subsequent investigation revealing around 2.5 million litres had been discharged.
Enforced officers determined spill was caused by ‘numerous operational errors’ by Teck Metals
Enforcement officers with Environment and Climate Change Canada determined that the spill was the result of “numerous operational errors” and that Teck Metals’ “failure to exert due diligence contributed to the duration and extent of the spill.”
“In this case, the low pH effluent was caused by a leak of an acidic solution from the company’s fertilizer operations in Warfield, BC,” Environment and Climate Change Canada said.
Additionally, much of the discharged low-pH effluent was also below pH4, making it harmful to fish, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Teck Metals will have its company name added to the Environmental Offenders Registry, which contains information on the convictions of corporations found to have committed offences under certain federal environment laws, according to the department.
Environment and Climate Change Canada said it found Teck Metals “failed to exert due diligence” in a number of ways, including lack of protocols and procedures, inadequate training, non-functioning equipment, and a lack of awareness and knowledge.
The Government of Canada announced last month that it would be banning six different categories of single-use plastic items after determining that they are hard to recycle and can harm wildlife and habitat.
Were you aware Teck Metals spilled effluent into the Columbia river? Let us know in the comments!
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