From: brewnoserii@gmail.com   
      
   The Canadian Press  10.15.2015   
      
   Companies charged over 2013 coal tailings pond spill: Alberta Energy Regulator   
      
   EDMONTON - Two companies have been charged over a huge 2013 spill from a coal   
   tailings pond that fouled tributaries feeding the Athabasca River.   
      
   Coal Valley Resources Inc. and Sherritt International Corporation (TSX:S) face   
   six charges under Alberta's Environmental Protection Act, Public Lands Act and   
   Water Act.   
      
   The charges follow a spill of about 670 million litres of waste water that   
   gushed out of a broken earth berm at the Obed Mountain mine near Hinton on   
   Oct. 31, 2013.   
      
   The Alberta Energy Regulator said at the time of the spill, Coal Valley   
   operated the mine as a subsidiary of Sherritt.   
      
   The regulator said material in the spill included minerals, bits of coal and a   
   substance used in coal production. Groups citing data from Environment   
   Canada's National Pollutant Release Inventory have said that toxic compounds   
   such as arsenic, mercury    
   and cadmium were being dumped into the ponds in years prior to the spill.   
      
   In the weeks following the spill, the province advised downstream communities   
   not to draw water from the river and farmers not to let livestock drink from   
   it. Two tributaries of the Athabasca River were affected.   
      
   Sherritt said it was reviewing the charges.   
      
   "The release at Obed Mountain was an unfortunate occurrence, but does not   
   reflect on Sherritt's commitment to operational and environmental safety,"   
   Mark Sitter, a company spokesman, said in an email.   
      
   "Since the release, we have worked collaboratively with provincial and federal   
   regulatory authorities throughout the investigation into this matter and have   
   begun discussions on next steps in this process."   
      
   A draft report prepared for Sherritt by Millenium EMS Solutions Ltd. on the   
   spill earlier this year concluded that it did not pose a threat to human   
   health.   
      
   "Overall, there is no expectation of adverse effects on human health based on   
   chemical exposure arising from the October 2013 release," reads the report   
   posted on a Sherritt website.   
      
   Sherritt said it is committed to understanding the circumstances that   
   contributed to the release and is taking the steps necessary to prevent any   
   recurrence.   
      
   "I'm happy they're facing six charges," said Bruce Maclean, who helps First   
   Nations in Fort Chipewyan operate an environmental monitoring program.   
      
   "There's a lot of concerns in the community related to wild food health."   
      
   Brittany Verbeek of the Alberta Wilderness Association also welcomed the news.   
      
   "After waiting almost two years, we were pleased they are pressing charges,"   
   she said.   
      
   However, she called on federal prosecutors to lay charges under the federal   
   Fisheries Act. She also said there remain unanswered questions about the Obed   
   spill.   
      
   "There's lots of questions about whether there were issues prior to the   
   spill," she said.   
      
   The maximum combined fine for all six charges is just over $2 million, said   
   Fraser   
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   Thomson, a lawyer for Ecojustice.   That's not enough, he said.   
      
   "If the government is going to get serious about preventing these kinds of   
   occurrences, they need to look at increasing those maximums."   
      
   Thomson said Environment Canada said as late as Sept. 25 they were still   
   investigating the spill.   
      
   The companies are to appear in Hinton provincial court on the charges on Jan.   
   20.   
      
   http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/S/-/T/3/Enviros-Oil-Spill.jpg   
      
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