B.C. Fines Teck Coal Over $220K for Unauthorized Waste Spills

On August 8, the B.C. Ministry of Environment levied over $220,000 in fines against Teck Coal Ltd., now operating as Elk Valley Resources, for unauthorized waste discharges at its Elkview operations.

The ministry issued two administrative penalties related to waste disposal violations over the past two years. According to the ministry’s report, the company was aware of the unauthorized discharges of process slurry but “did not take all reasonable measures” to prevent them.

One of the fines, amounting to $168,750, addresses 27 separate incidents of unauthorized waste discharges between February 2021 and November 2022. The ministry noted that these discharges had little to no actual environmental impact, as they were contained within the heavily disturbed areas surrounding the Elkview operations pit and Coal Processing Plant.

However, the second penalty, totaling $52,000, covers two more severe incidents where mining waste reached nearby creeks that support animal life. In October 2021, approximately 1,000 liters of slurry were discharged, with about 50 liters reaching Otto Creek. Three months later, around 10,500 liters were released into the ground, contaminating Goddard Creek.

The report highlighted concerns about selenium, a naturally occurring mineral that can be harmful to aquatic life in high concentrations. Selenium from Teck’s operations in the Elk Valley continues to travel downstream toward the U.S. border, raising tensions between Ottawa and Washington.

Water samples from the affected creeks exceeded guidelines for selenium and sulphide levels, which can cause deformities in fish and health problems for humans. Despite this, the ministry stated that these levels were “within historical ranges” for the area and found “insufficient evidence” of actual harm.

The majority of the 29 unauthorized discharges were attributed to equipment failures, according to the report. In response, Teck Coal stated that investigations were conducted to identify the root causes of each spill, and repairs have been made to prevent future incidents.

Now operating under the name Elk Valley Resources following the sale of its B.C. coal mining operations to Swiss commodities giant Glencore in July, the company said it cleaned up the spills and that subsequent monitoring showed results within normal ranges for the affected areas.

The company has 30 days to appeal the fines, though it has not indicated whether it will do so.

This is not the first time Elkview’s operations have faced penalties for unauthorized waste discharges. Two years ago, Teck Coal was fined nearly $200,000 for similar violations in 2020. Over the years, the company has faced tens of millions of dollars in fines for contaminating waterways in B.C.

Additionally, Teck Coal is currently dealing with allegations of dumping harmful substances into waters frequented by fish in southeastern B.C. Environment Canada laid five charges against the company in July, with a court hearing scheduled for October 10.

Source: CBC