Clock is ticking to lay charges in dam failure disaster

Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley dam failure in 2014 in the B.C. Interior shook the industry and caused concern among the public, First Nations and environmental groups that aquatic life would be harmed, particularly salmon that use the Quesnel Lake system to spawn.

The three-year deadline to lay charges under B.C. laws passed in 2017. Under federal law, there is a five-year window to lay charges under environment and fisheries laws, leaving one year to do so.

“We are concerned that four years later, following the largest mining spill in Canadian history, there are still no charges whatsoever at any level of government,” Mining Watch Canada official Ugo Lapointe said Tuesday, adding, “It sends the wrong signal that any mining company can do whatever they want, screw up massively and not face consequences.”

He said Mining Watch is pressuring authorities — in particular, Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada — to lay charges.

In a written response to Postmedia, Environment Canada said a joint investigation with the two federal agencies and the B.C. Conservation Officer Service continues to determine if federal environmental and wildlife laws were breached, and they will take appropriate action based on their findings.

Environment Canada spokeswoman Jenn Gearey said in an email that it was not unusual for an investigation of this nature to take several years to complete.

In a written response, B.C. Ministry of Environment spokeswoman Danielle Bell said the province recognized the timeline for this investigation was significant, but timing depends on an investigation’s complexity. “Both levels of government are committed to a thorough investigation within the time frame of the federal statute of limitations,” said Bell.

Mining Watch said it had no insight on whether charges would eventually be laid.