‘This is a serious incident that should not have happened’

NEWS — The breach in the tailings-pond dam at the Mount Polley Mine in the Cariboo has been stabilized but the cause still isn’t known, says mine owner Imperial Metals.

Meanwhile, Mines Minister Bill Bennett said today the incident “should not have happened.”

Here’s the company’s full statement released today (Tuesday) on Monday’s breach of the pond that sent a torrent of water into adjacent water bodies.

“The tailings dam breach that caused a water and tailings discharge at Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley mine early Monday morning has stabilized.

“Our first priority is the health and safety of our employees and neighbours, and we are relieved no loss of life or injury have been reported. We are deeply concerned and are working to mitigate immediate effects and understand the cause.

“Exact quantities of water and tailings discharged have yet to be determined. The tailings are alkaline with an average ph of 8.5 and are not acid generating.

“The cause of the breach is unknown at this time. The dam is an independently engineered structure that operated within design limits and specifications. Monitoring instruments and onsite personnel had no indication of an impending breach.

“Mount Polley mine has been placed on care and maintenance, and business interruption and physical damage insurers have been notified. While the damaged area is relatively small compared to the overall size of the dam, it is not known at this time how long it will take to restore operations.

“We are working closely with provincial ministries, local agencies, and emergency response officials. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”

Mines Minister Bennett, who was on his way to the site today, said the cause will be found and steps taken to prevent such a thing happening again.

“This is a serious incident that should not have happened,” he said.

Bennett said mines inspectors are at the site investigating.