Logs are piled up at West Fraser Timber in Quesnel, B.C., Tuesday, April 21, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
In Quesnel, British Columbia, the Environment Ministry reports that a fibreboard factory's release of 2.5 million litres of effluent doesn't immediately threaten public safety. They state that the spill, which occurred on Monday at the WestPine Medium-Density Fibreboard plant and flowed into a gravel pit, has been evaluated, and no waterways have been impacted. West Fraser, the factory owner, confirms that a valve on a faulty line connecting the factory to a pulp mill has been replaced, and cleanup operations are finished. Joyce Wagenaar, a spokeswoman for West Fraser, explains that the effluent, identified as "water softener backwash," contains safe levels of calcium carbonate and chloride, according to initial assessments against British Columbia's water quality standards.
The ministry plans to dispatch an environmental emergency officer to the site to ensure West Fraser is taking appropriate measures. They've also informed Northern Health and the First Nations Health Authority, neither of which have raised concerns regarding public health implications, particularly related to drinking water. Consequently, the ministry does not perceive an immediate or severe threat to the environment.
