The Mackenzie Pulp Mill Corporation has been fined $900,000.
This comes following two instances in 2014 that saw the mill’s treatment system overwhelmed, causing toxic effluent exceedance in Williston Lake where the mill sits.
“Beyond the fine which was agreed to [April 19th, 2018], the company was also ordered to complete an independent audit of its operations at the mill, paying particular attention to the effluent that comes from the mill,” explains Environmental Enforcement Directorate Regional Director Marko Goluza.
“It’s done by a third party at the expense of the mill; once that audit is done, they produce a report and they give that to Environment Canada so we can then consider it in future events as well as we can consider it when we go and do our periodic compliance checks at the mill.”
The payout will not be going to waste, so to speak. Goluza says it will help out with a specific cause in the province.
“The $900,000 core penalty will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund and, in this case, it was actually flagged to be used for conservation of fish and fish habitat in the Omineca region of British Columbia specifically.”
Mackenzie Pulp Mill Corporation will also be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry for the next five years.