There go those fish and everything thats coming upstream is dead!

No BC Charges in Mount Polley Disaster as Investigation Misses Deadline
Deadline for laying provincial charges will pass without a conclusion to the three-year probe.
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By Christopher Cheung Yesterday | TheTyee.ca
https://thetyee.ca/News/2017/08/02/No-BC-Charges-Mount-Polley-Disaster-Investigation-Lags/
 
The fact that there will be no charges/fines from the province of BC for the Mt. Polley disaster speaks to the fact that:
-provincial regulations are insufficient as this was clearly a huge mistake by the company (Imperial Metals) that caused a lot of damage and environmental destruction
-the deterrents for this sort of mistake are far too weak.
-the province does not have the public interest (health, safety, financial) at the top of it's list... where it should be

We will see what comes from the feds but regardless, this is a massive failure from our provincial gov't in terms of sending a clear message that companies who aren't compliant with regulations will pay for their actions.

For those who feel our province is deterring business from operating in BC due to overburdening regulations I'd ask you how you square that idea with the reality of this outcome. Unfortunately this is not a 'one-off' either. Mining, Forestry, Oil & Gas, etc projects have resulted in countless 'incidences' where the public is left holding the bag. I think we can all agree that regs should be streamlined and projects that meet the regs should get approvals/permits quickly. However, we should also agree that when laws are broken and when disasters like Mt. Polley happen, it should not be taxpayers who end up paying for cleanup and suffering the environmental/health consequences while the violating company gets to carry on business as usual. Get money out of politics and hopefully we can start moving towards proper regulation and enforcement.
 
Excellent post. ^^^^^^ I agree %100. It's time our gov took these companies to task. At the least these companies should pay upfront for any damages that might occur. That's right "might" occur. You don't wanna pay no business license for you. Too many times we hear about the funding set aside only to never see it. Or we get told all environmental safeguards have been looked at and conditions met only to have something like this happen. Then people wonder why residents of BC are resistant to even more of these rubber stamped projects. Or better yet. The next "big project" should have to foot the bill for the last "big project".
 
The fact that there will be no charges/fines from the province of BC for the Mt. Polley disaster speaks to the fact that:
-provincial regulations are insufficient as this was clearly a huge mistake by the company (Imperial Metals) that caused a lot of damage and environmental destruction
-the deterrents for this sort of mistake are far too weak.
-the province does not have the public interest (health, safety, financial) at the top of it's list... where it should be

We will see what comes from the feds but regardless, this is a massive failure from our provincial gov't in terms of sending a clear message that companies who aren't compliant with regulations will pay for their actions.

For those who feel our province is deterring business from operating in BC due to overburdening regulations I'd ask you how you square that idea with the reality of this outcome. Unfortunately this is not a 'one-off' either. Mining, Forestry, Oil & Gas, etc projects have resulted in countless 'incidences' where the public is left holding the bag. I think we can all agree that regs should be streamlined and projects that meet the regs should get approvals/permits quickly. However, we should also agree that when laws are broken and when disasters like Mt. Polley happen, it should not be taxpayers who end up paying for cleanup and suffering the environmental/health consequences while the violating company gets to carry on business as usual. Get money out of politics and hopefully we can start moving towards proper regulation and enforcement.

hear hear!
 
The fact that there will be no charges/fines from the province of BC for the Mt. Polley disaster speaks to the fact that:
-provincial regulations are insufficient as this was clearly a huge mistake by the company (Imperial Metals) that caused a lot of damage and environmental destruction
-the deterrents for this sort of mistake are far too weak.
-the province does not have the public interest (health, safety, financial) at the top of it's list... where it should be

We will see what comes from the feds but regardless, this is a massive failure from our provincial gov't in terms of sending a clear message that companies who aren't compliant with regulations will pay for their actions.

For those who feel our province is deterring business from operating in BC due to overburdening regulations I'd ask you how you square that idea with the reality of this outcome. Unfortunately this is not a 'one-off' either. Mining, Forestry, Oil & Gas, etc projects have resulted in countless 'incidences' where the public is left holding the bag. I think we can all agree that regs should be streamlined and projects that meet the regs should get approvals/permits quickly. However, we should also agree that when laws are broken and when disasters like Mt. Polley happen, it should not be taxpayers who end up paying for cleanup and suffering the environmental/health consequences while the violating company gets to carry on business as usual. Get money out of politics and hopefully we can start moving towards proper regulation and enforcement.

I would say that if a company has been seen to be negligent, then the CEO/Site boss is held personally liable. Being pro business doesn't mean one thinks the land is here to be raped. I have just as much skin in this game as anyone else.
 
The buck should go all the way to the Board of Directors, it's there job to make sure that the company is being run by competent people. Unfortunately most just claim they had no idea when the **** hit's the fan.
 
The system is set-up to reward and encourage irresponsible and sometimes illegal behaviour. Many of the directors are CEOs and/or directors on other companies/operations - where it's an old boys club. Rewards and bonuses are given to lowering costs of production - irregardless of those consequences - like in this case - overstocking a leaking tailings pond. Bribes, party contributions, and fines are often seen as "operating costs".

I think jailing CEOs and site managers - along with personal fines and seizing bank accounts as "proceeds of crime" - might quickly clean some of this up - as Towney suggested.

BUT - why didn't the province and feds already do this? Why did a private individual have to lay a private prosecution? Why haven't CEOs and site managers been fined and/or jailed?

Crooks run the show .... that's why
 
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