A mine near Merritt has been fined a little less than $18,000 for environmental violations, including the latest in a series of groundwater sampling program failures.
Huldra Properties, which operates the Craigmont Mine 14 kilometres northwest of Merritt, has been fined $17,900 by B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
The company has been fined for failing to submit an updated groundwater monitoring program prior to recommencing the discharge of tailings — a byproduct composed of finely ground rocks, water, chemicals and other materials used in mine processing.
The company is also being fined for failing to immediately notify the ministry it wasn’t in compliance.
History of non-compliance
The fine is the latest in a series of failures by the mine to comply with its permit.
Huldra Properties was previously fined $13,000 in 2020 for failing to undertake a required monitoring program and the same ground water monitoring program from Aug. 22, 2017, to Feb. 10, 2020.
At the time, it was also fined another $13,200 for failing to report it wasn’t in compliance between Feb. 1, 2017, and Jan. 1, 2018 on 12 occasions, and for failing to submit an Annual Report to the ministry in 2018.
Both fines were appealed, before later being withdrawn. Both fines were paid in full.
In January of 2021, the ministry conducted an inspection to verify compliance between Jan.1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019, in which the mine was found to be out of compliance with a number of requirements. A fine was never pursued by the ministry.
In July of 2021, the Ministry then fined the mining company another $2,000 for failing to submit an Annual Report in 2019 and 2020.
Next year, another inspection by the ministry was conducted in April, during which the mine was again found to be out of compliance for failing to submit a groundwater monitoring program for approval prior to commencing discharging and for failing to notify the ministry it wasn’t in compliance — the same failures the mine is currently being fined for.
At the time, the mining company was let off with a warning.
Was aware of infractions
In 2023, another inspection turned up the same failures at the mine when the discharge of processing tailings to the tailing facility began on March 15, 2013.
According to a decision from director of the Environmental Management Act Jason Bourgeois, the company was aware of the groundwater requirements as early as 2019, was warned in 2022, and was reminded of the requirements in 2019 and 2022.
Bourgeois said the mining company’s failure was a “moderate contravention” and has a “medium potential" for adverse effects on the environment, including downstream waters.
Bourgeois also states the mine failed to notify of non compliance in 2023, including missed sample collections, failed to submit for its groundwater monitoring program, exceeded the maximum daily rate of discharge of tailings on 88 days, failed to recycle tailings to the maximum extent practical, and failed to record daily effluent discharge on 34 days.
The mine was aware of the requirements as early as 2019, was warned in 2022, and reminded in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
For failing to notify the ministry of non compliance, Bourgeois said the infraction was “minor” and had “low to none” actual or potential adverse affects.
The mining company has 30 days to pay the fine, which was issued July, 25.
