On February 29, 2016 a judge of the British Columbia Provincial
Court ordered Teck Metals Ltd. to pay a $3 Million penalty.
Teck had pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fisheries
Act. The offences related to multiple incidents that had
resulted in the discharge of approximately 125,000,000 litres of
deleterious effluent into the Columbia River. At various
times the effluent contained potentially harmful levels of copper,
cadmium, chlorine or ammonia or were acidic. The discharges
took place between November 28, 2013 and February 5, 2015.
Under the plea arrangement, the $3 Million penalty was directed
to the Federal Government's Environmental Damages Fund, to be
used for fish habitat and fisheries restoration projects in the
area watersheds. Priority is given to restoration projects
that address the damages caused by the discharges.
