| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
On August 4, 2014, a tailings dam breach occurred at Mount Polley Mine in south-central B.C., near the town of Likely. The Ministry of Environment (Ministry) issued a Pollution Abatement Order (Order) on August 5, 2014 to the Mount Polley Mine Corporation (MPMC), and amended the Order on May 27, 2015 (see Appendix 1). The Order outlines the steps MPMC is required to take in order to monitor and assess the environmental impact of the breach, mitigate the impacts, and remediate the impacted area. The Ministry is overseeing the development and implementation of all the associated plans and actions under the Order. The Ministry is also overseeing the implementation of the responsible party's actions to ensure MPMC meets the Ministry's needs for assessing potential environmental impacts, monitoring ecosystem recovery, and remediating the impacted area. This End of Phase I Progress Report provides an overview of the current approach to meeting the requirements under the Order, including the work done to date, and what remains outstanding at the end of Phase I. The Progress Report provides an update of the Ministry’s regulatory actions and also summarizes monitoring data collected to date by the Ministry. The Progress Report includes background and materials related to the response and approach to Phase I of the Remediation and Restoration Plan, and also describes the Ministry’s expectations for Phase II of the Remediation and Restoration Plan. |
