Well this looks pretty bad...
i wonder what effect that is going to have on the expected record salmon returns .
listening to the news right now . . . officials say the situation has " stabilized ", which actually means the fucking thing is empty .
and it makes me wonder , what do they do with these things after their useful life is over ? i'm pretty sure i heard on cbc this morning that the mine itself is not active at this time .
the tailings ponds at Nicklemine rd. in Hope were reforested.
Residents declare it a disaster? What do the experts have to say?
an entire tailings pond dumped it's contaminants into local waterways, how is that not a disaster?
an entire tailings pond dumped it's contaminants into local waterways, how is that not a disaster?
It's only a complete ban on all drinking water. We should wait for the experts to rule on this one.
Now where are those [sarcasm] tags at?
When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity.
When many people suffer from a delusion, it is called religion.
Not Likely!
But in all seriousness, that sucks. I hope the damage isn't epic.
Wrong. Always.
I'm most interested to find out how a structurally sound and monitored dam failed without warning.
I suspect it didn't happen without some assistance.
Pastor of Muppets
I'm most interested to find out how a structurally sound and monitored dam failed without warning.
I suspect it didn't happen without some assistance.
That seemed odd to me. Especially in the summer when run-off would be low.
and it makes me wonder , what do they do with these things after their useful life is over ? i'm pretty sure i heard on cbc this morning that the mine itself is not active at this time .
Depends on the type of mine (therefore, the type of tails), location and honestly the timing of the approval. From what I have seen, water is generally treated / monitored over time and the area eventually revegitated.
Would be unusual for a company to just abandon a tailings pond these days because of the impact of something like this on their reputation (not to mention, the cost of the clean-up far exceeds the cost of maintaining the dam).
an entire tailings pond dumped it's contaminants into local waterways, how is that not a disaster?
I think no matter how you slice it, it's a pretty terrible situation. Especially for residents where an alternative water source probably isn't the easiest to come by.
I just heard on the radio that a environmental consultant who'd examined it prior found it filled to the bursting point and a disaster waiting to happen.
So who's at fault, the mine operators or the Province for not holding their feet to the fire?
Freedom of contract. We sell them guns that kill them; they sell us drugs that kill us.
That seemed odd to me. Especially in the summer when run-off would be low.
The mine had been struggling to contain high runoffs this spring and summer, according to the TV report I saw.
Would be unusual for a company to just abandon a tailings pond these days because of the impact of something like this on their reputation (not to mention, the cost of the clean-up far exceeds the cost of maintaining the dam).
Don't they view that as a cost of doing business, ie, the profit realized from general neglect in the long term offsets the odd time it bites them back?
Freedom of contract. We sell them guns that kill them; they sell us drugs that kill us.
We drove through that area last summer. Some beautiful spots up that way.
Details on the report on the tailings pond:
Mine waste leak forces water-use ban on Quesnel, Cariboo River systems
Sat. pic of the tailing pond:
Forum jump: