When that deadline came and went, the rivers remained vulnerable. The B.C. Ministry of Environment eventually stepped in, labeling the failure a "major" contravention that undermined the entire regulatory system designed to protect the environment. The "Cost" of Progress
: Logistical hurdles created by the COVID-19 pandemic were also cited as a reason for the construction stall. Teck fined over $11 million for failing to buil...
Teck attributed the delay to a variety of factors, including: When that deadline came and went, the rivers
For decades, the coal mines dotting the valley have fueled local economies, but they’ve also leached —a mineral that, in high doses, causes deformities and reproductive failure in fish—into the Fording River. Under its permits, Teck was required to have the Fording River South water treatment facility operational by December 2018. The "Cost" of Progress : Logistical hurdles created
While the company argued it was doing its best—investing over into water quality overall—the provincial government found the "unacceptable" pattern of non-compliance too significant to ignore.
: The company claimed it needed more time to "fix a water treatment challenge" to ensure the technology actually worked.