UBC fined $1.2M after being found guilty of releasing ammonia into creek, killing 70 fish

The University of British Columbia has been fined $1.2 million after being found guilty of allowing the release of ammonia into a tributary of the Fraser River.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (EC) said the discharge was responsible for the deaths of 70 fish.

CIMCO Refrigeration, which was working with the university to repair a refrigeration system, has also been fined $800,000.

The university has appealed its sentence, which was delivered on Friday.

On September 24, 2014 EC was told about an ammonia odour at an outfall ditch connected to Booming Ground Creek in Pacific Spirit Regional Park.

The source of the odour was found to be a refrigeration plant at Thunderbird Arena.

While repairing the refrigeration system, CIMCO and the university used a negative pressure device called a “Venturi” to purge residual ammonia vapours from the system, EC explained.

The water and ammonia mixture was then discharged into a storm drain at the arena, which flowed into the outfall, through a ditch, and into Booming Ground Creek.

The creek is a tributary of the Fraser River.

Two days after the discharge, officers and park rangers found close to 70 dead fish in the creek.

The ammonia levels were found to be harmful to the fish.

UBC and CIMCO have both been added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.

The university has also been ordered to conduct five years of electronic monitoring of storm-water quality at the outfall where the discharge occurred.

All the cash from the fines will go to the Environmental Damages Fund.

UBC was found guilty of:

• Depositing or permitting the deposit of a deleterious substance into water frequented by fish;

• Depositing or permitting the deposit of a deleterious substance into places that may enter waters frequented by fish; and

• Failing to report the incident in a timely manner