Mt Polley Incident - Aug 13th update

New today:
1. Water samples taken by Ministry of Environment (MoE) staff from the southeast corner of Polley Lake on Aug. 7 and 8, 2014, have been tested and results are very close to historical levels taken prior to the Aug. 4, 2014, tailings pond breach.
2. As a result of this latest testing, Interior Health (IH) has further rescinded its water use advisory. The “Do Not Use” advisory will remain indefinitely for the impact zone directly affected by the breach, which includes Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek, and where Hazeltine Creek runs into Quesnel Lake, extending to 100 metres from the edge of the sediment deposition.
3. Additionally, water samples taken on Aug. 7, 2014, from three locations in Quesnel Lake and along Quesnel River have been analyzed with most of the parameters being well within provincial and federal drinking water guidelines.
4. Following consultation and discussion with a number of partners on the human health risks associated with eating fish, IH’s Medical Health Officer (MHO) has deemed all fish outside of the revised Aug. 12, 2014, “Do Not Use” water advisory as safe to eat. Individuals should refrain from eating fish from the remaining impact zone, as noted above.
5. MoE staff, Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes and Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett delivered hard copies of analytical data with summary memos, news releases and IH’s rescind order to the Town of Likely. The information package was handed to a number of
residents and placed at the following locations: Valley General Store, Canada Post Office bulletin board, Likely Lodge Diner, Cedar Point Provincial Park bulletin board and the museum.
6. On Aug. 12, 2014, MoE field staff obtained water samples at the discharge point from Polley Lake into Hazeltine Creek. Sediment samples were also collected from the tailings pond breach area and Hazeltine Creek. Ministry of Environment Ministry of Energy and Mines Cariboo Regional District
7. The CRD will be posting restricted access signage today for the area identified in the Official Order of Restricted Access.
8. Based on the water quality testing results, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has re-opened the Chinook salmon fishery on the Quesnel and Cariboo Rivers.

The complete updates is available at:http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/eemp/incidents/2014/mount-polley.htm

Any questions on the lifting of the Water Use Restrictions at Likely? Go to:

http://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourEnvironment/EmergencyPreparedness/Pages/MajorEvents.aspx