Progress Underway on Mount Polley Remediation

The first phase of the long term remediation plan for the area impacted by the Mount Polley mine breach will begin according to the government.

The focus will be in the human health and environmental safety through the winter and spring to June 2015. Phase One of the long term plan and progress report on Mount Polley Mining Corporation’s remediation plan was released by Environment Minister Mary Polak on Monday.

Photo Credit: File Photo

The company has already completed or initiated some of the components of the phase including no further unauthorized discharges into Hazeltine Creek, stabilizing the impacted zone and meeting provincial water quality guidelines for water entering Quesnel Lake.

“To achieve compliance with Phase One objectives, a number of erosion mitigation measures are completed or underway, including a silt fence installation at the mouth of Hazeltine Creek, re-contouring, flow diversion, Polley Lake outlet flow control and installation and operation of settling ponds at Lower Hazeltine Creek,” reads a statement from the Ministry. “Steps to protect the area from additional environmental damage due to increased water flow from thawing snow, known as the spring freshet, are also part of this first phase.”

Photo Credit: File Photo

Phase two of the long-term plan covers the timeframe from July 2015 to August 2016, and focuses on remediation of the impacts of the breach. To read the progress report for remediation click here.