A lot has been written about the Mount Polley spill of 2014, though not so much about the remediation efforts which have been quietly underway for years to great effect. Mount Polley recovery and remediation continues. So far, over $70 million has been invested to make things right at the site and the affected areas. Let’s put Mount Polley into perspective. Local habitats are being restored. Fish spawning habitats have helped repopulate rainbow trout populations in Quesnel lake and Hazeltine Creek. The fish are biting are Polley lake!
Additionally, the project has been one that has followed scientific best practices. The Mount Polley remediation effort has restored vegegative coverage in the affected areas and is seeing local wildlife thrive at the site. The project has been carried out in coordination of Mount Polley Remediation staff along with First Nations partners.
Above all, responsible resource development means setting things right in the rare instances they go wrong. We’re proud of the work that has been done and we’re showing the world that Canada leads in taking responsibility and in developing remediation practices. Truly, Mount Polley recovery and remediation means no less than just that.
Indeed, Canada has a rich traditional of resource development and environmental stewardship. We hope to maintain that legacy and the work accomplished at Mount Polley reflects commitment to that ideal.
We’d like to highlight an article that adds much needed perspective. Dr. Lyn Anglin has written about the remediation efforts at Mount Polley. Dr. Anglin was President and CEO of Geoscience BC. She was the Chief Science Officer and VP Environmental Affairs at Imperial Metals until she retired in 2018. Dr. Anglin was also on the Advisory Council at Resource Works.
