The Tulameen River shoreline will get a scrubbing after it mixed with tailing water from a coal mining site.
Image Credit: SOURCE/Flickr
August 30, 2013 - 12:26 PM
PRINCETON - Coalmont Energy Corp. has been ordered to clean the Tulameen River shoreline affected by Saturday's 24,605 litre spill of coal mine tailing water.
The Ministry of Environment clean-up order to the company was part of the government's investigation following the incident which turned Tulameen River water black. Both the ministry and the Interior Health Authority said underground drinking water wells were not affected.
Company spokesperson Keith Meldrum said the water used in the coal-washing process almost never leaves the machinery. It was removed and put into a tailing pond so repairs could be made to the equipment. The water overflowed the top of the pond and spilled into the Tulameen which feeds the larger Similkameen River. The spill was mostly water, bentonite clay, soil and small amounts of coal.
Efforts at the Basin Coal Mine continue to focus on upgrades to the ponds and an environmental assessment. Once the assessment is completed the company will receive more instructions on further cleanup and recovery of material. Work is already underway.
Residents can attend a public information session today at 5 p.m. at the Tulameen Community Hall at 2597 Otter Avenue. For residents unable to attend, questions or concerns can be emailed to info@coalmontenergy.com.
To contact a reporter for this story, to send photos or videos, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065, tweet @shannonquesnel1 or @InfoNewsPentict
News from © iNFOnews, 2013