Mount Polley water ban partially rescinded

UPDATE/ MOUNT POLLEY (4:15 p.m. Friday) — A “do not use” water restriction around the area of the Mount Polley tailings-pond collapse has been partially rescinded.

The Interior Health Authority announced Friday afternoon that, in view of the most recent water testing results, the ban on water use has been rescinded north of the Quesnel River where it narrows and is shallow.

“This area is described as including and north of 6236 Cedar Creek Road on the Quesnel River and the balance of the Quesnel River system to the Fraser River,” stated the IHA.

“This means that water drawn from the Quesnel River, including and north of 6236 Cedar Creek Road on Quesnel River in Likely may be consumed per normal practice, and is now safe for recreational purposes from a health perspective.”

But recreational users are still advised to avoid the area because of the presence of debris, the IHA said.

The water ban remains in effect for Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek, Cariboo Creek and other parts of Quesnel Lake and Quesnel River, including swimming and fishing.

If Polley Lake overflows, the ban would be put back on the whole area.

UPDATE/ MOUNT POLLEY — Testing on a new set of water samples taken from five locations on the Quesnel River meet provincial and federal drinking water guidelines for a second straight day.

The Environment Ministry released the results this afternoon (Friday).

The ministry said it has approved a plan by Imperial Metals, operator of the Mount Polley Mine where a tailings pond burst Monday, to lower the water level of nearby Polley Lake by building a pipeline to Hazeltine Creek

The level of the lake was rising due to a build-up of sediment and debris after the breach in the tailings pond.

Water samples taken from the shore of Polley Lake have been collected but it’s still unsafe to go onto the lake by boat, the ministry said. Testing on the samples is expected to be done by the weekend.

Environment Minister Mary Polak and other government officials met with several First Nations chiefs today to discuss next steps.

The Conservation Officer Service is now asking for the public’s help in their investigation into what caused the breach that sent billions of litres of contaminated water and millions of cubic metres of sediment into adjacent waterways.

NEWS/ MOUNT POLLEY — More results from water testing near the site of the burst tailings pond at the Mount Polley Mine will be available this afternoon.

A joint update from the provincial government and Cariboo Regional District today said the “do not use” water advisory from the Interior Health Authority remains in place until additional test results are available that show “consistently safe water quality results.”

The results to be released today are from water samples taken Tuesday. Preliminary water-testing results Thursday indicated drinking water was within acceptable standards.

The flow of contaminated water and materials out of the Mount Polley Mine tailings pond hasn’t stopped yet and mine owner Imperial Metals is building a temporary berm in an effort to dam it.

The update said a state of local emergency remains in place and the cause of the breach is still unknown.

“There have been no reports of injuries or people getting sick from drinking water,” the update stated.