Friday, May 27, 2016

Harmac Fined $135,000 - Effluent Spill Into Channel

Nanaimo Info file photo

Power outage caused pump failure
spills 3,700,000 litres into Northumberland Channel

NANAIMO, BC, May 25, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Nanaimo Forest Products Ltd., under the trade name Harmac Pacific, was sentenced to pay a penalty of $135,000, of which $130,000 will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund (EDF). Harmac Pacific pleaded guilty in B.C. provincial court on May 17, 2016, to one offence for contravening subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.

Harmac Pacific experienced a power outage on June 26, 2013, resulting in an estimated 3,700, 000 litres of untreated effluent being spilled into Northumberland Channel for approximately 90 minutes. The power outage impacted the outfall pumphouse located on the foreshore of Northumberland Channel, which connects to the Strait of Georgia and the Pacific Ocean.

The EDF is administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Created in 1995, it provides a way to direct funds received as a result of fines, court orders and voluntary payments to projects that will benefit our natural environment.

As a result of the conviction, Nanaimo Forest Products Ltd. (Harmac Pacific) will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry. The registry was created in 2009 and contains the names of corporations convicted of offences under certain federal environmental laws.

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3 comments:

  1. $135 K eh? A slap on the wrists. How much did it cost for the process including lawyers fees? So the untreated effluent (what is the make up of this effluent anyway?) was spilled as a result of a power outage? I call BS on that. Are we saying every time Harmac has a power outage that this same thing happens? Are there no back up or emergency measures in place to prevent this?
    Cliff Marcil

    ReplyDelete
  2. what did it do to the fish prawns crabs etc. ????

    ReplyDelete
  3. what did it do to the fish crabs prawns etc ???? I would not buy prawns from that area so tell the commercial prawn guys to stop now.

    ReplyDelete

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