hundreds to stop using water in the area
Authorities say the equivalent of 2,000 Olympic swimming pools of mining waste has been discharged into waterways in British Columbia’s Cariboo region, forcing hundreds to stop using water in the area.
The tailings pond of the Mount Polley mine, about 140 kilometres southeast of Quesnel in northern B.C., was breached early Monday, forcing a water-use ban.
The Cariboo Regional District issued the advisory for the town of Likely and for residents around Quesnel Lake, Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Cariboo Creek.
The initial water-use ban affected about 300 people, but that number was likely to grow since the advisory was expanded to include residents along the nearby Quesnel and Cariboo Rivers.
The Quesnel River is linked to the Fraser River, one of B.C.’s main arteries, but authorities have not imposed a water-use ban on communities by the Fraser, saying it is unclear if contaminants have gone that far.
The Ministry of Environment of B.C. says the extent of the environmental damage is not yet clear and water in the area will be tested in the coming days.
The Cariboo Regional District has posted a video on YouTube showing the breach and a river completely covered in what appears to be light grey mining waste.