Mount Polley tailings pond spill
Tailings pond breach sent torrent of mine water and waste into several B.C. lakes, rivers and creeks in August
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When the dam at the Mount Polley tailings pond breached on Aug. 4, it released 10 billion litres of water and 4.5 million cubic metres of metals-laden sand, contaminating lakes, creeks and rivers near the town of Likely in the central Interior of B.C.
- FULL COVERAGE Mount Polley spill
- Mount Polley mine spill cleanup requires pressing action, says B.C. environment ministry
- Mount Polley Mine tailings pond breach called environmental disaster
Months later, B.C.'s Ministry of Environment says the company that operated the mine, Imperial Metals, is still at the very beginning of its clean-up process.
Although a drinking water ban was rescinded a few days after the spill, residents continue to raise concerns about the quality of the water in Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake.
The spill also raised questions about the inspection process for mines in this province. NDP leader John Horgan has claimed a report from four years ago that detected a crack in the dam was hidden away.
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