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HandWiki. Mount Polley Tailings Spill. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33250 (accessed on 12 October 2026).
HandWiki. Mount Polley Tailings Spill. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33250. Accessed October 12, 2026.
HandWiki. "Mount Polley Tailings Spill" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33250 (accessed October 12, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 07). Mount Polley Tailings Spill. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33250
HandWiki. "Mount Polley Tailings Spill." Encyclopedia. Web. 07 November, 2022.
Mount Polley Tailings Spill
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The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Engineering:Mount_Polley_tailings_spill

The Mount Polley tailings spill occurred in the Cariboo region of central British Columbia, Canada . The spill began 4 August 2014 with a breach of the Imperial Metals-owned Mount Polley copper, gold and silver mine tailings pond, releasing its water and slurry with years worth of mining waste into Polley Lake. The spill flooded Polley Lake, creating a plug at Hazeltine Creek, and continued into nearby Quesnel Lake and Cariboo River. By 8 August the four-square-kilometre (1.5 sq mi) sized tailings pond had been emptied of the majority of supernatant (process water) that sits atop the settled crushed rock solids (mining waste, or 'tailings'). The cause of the dam breach and subsequent tailings spill has been investigated with a final report published 31 January 2015. Imperial Metals had a history of operating the pond beyond capacity since at least 2011. Remediation and reconstruction has been underway at the site since 2014. These efforts have included investigation on impacts to human health and safety and affected ecosystems while removing the tailings spill, reconstructing creek shorelines, installing fish habitats, and replanting trees and other local vegetation. Investigation by the remediation team showed elevated levels of selenium, arsenic and other metals consistent with historical tests before the dam breach. These initial reports had been concerned about the chemical impact of the tailings spill on the surrounding environment, but it was determined through subsequent investigation and remediation that the challenge posed by tailings spill was physical in nature.

selenium human health and safety tailings pond

References

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  3. "Mount Polley tailings pond situation update", Government of BC, Newsroom, 8 August 2014, http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2014/08/friday-aug-8---mount-polley-tailings-pond-situation-update.html, retrieved 8 August 2014 
  4. Yaffe, Barbara (8 August 2014). "Alberta has reason to fret over B.C. tailings pond spill". Calgary Herald. https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/op-ed/Yaffe+Alberta+reason+fret+over+tailings+pond+spill/10102613/story.html. Retrieved 9 August 2014. 
  5. Wise Uranium, 2018. The Mount Polley tailings dam failure (Canada) http://wise-uranium.org/mdafmp.html
  6. CBC News (6 August 2014), "Mount Polley mine tailings spill: Imperial Metals could face $1M fine", CBC News, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mount-polley-mine-tailings-spill-imperial-metals-could-face-1m-fine-1.2728832, retrieved 8 August 2014 
  7. Birchwater, Sage (5 August 2014). "Likely residents fear the worst after Mount Polley Mine disaster". The Williams Lake Tribune (Black Press, Inc.). http://www.wltribune.com/news/270019941.html. 
  8. "Breach Of Tailings Pond Results In 'Largest Environmental Disaster In Modern Canadian History'". Australian Mine Safety Journal. 12 August 2014. http://www.amsj.com.au/news/breach-tailings-pond-results-largest-environmental-disaster-modern-canadian-history. 
  9. Peter Koven (16 August 2014). "Imperial Metals plans debenture issue in wake of dam breach". National Post, syndicated via Star-Phoenix. https://thestarphoenix.com/business/Imperial+Metals+plans+debenture+issue+wake+breach/10124148/story.html. 
  10. Peter Moskowitz (13 August 2014). "Mount Polley mine spill: a hazard of Canada's industry-friendly attitude?". The Guardian (Guardian News and Media). https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/13/mount-polley-mine-spill-british-columbia-canada. Retrieved 26 November 2014. 
  11. Joel Connelly (24 November 2014). "British Columbia mine breach 'a disaster' that will linger for years". Seattle pi (Hearst Seattle Media, LLC). http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/11/24/british-columbia-mine-breach-a-disaster-recovery-will-take-years/#25734101=0. Retrieved 23 December 2014. "The scale of the initial disaster is tremendous: It is going to take a long time. This is the very, very beginnings of this,"" 
  12. The Canadian Press (2014-08-09). "Water ban linked to Mount Polley mine tailings spill partially lifted". The Vancouver Sun. https://vancouversun.com/Water+linked+Mount+Polley+mine+tailings+spill+partially+lifted/10097584/story.html. Retrieved 2014-08-10. 
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  14. Gordon Hoekstra (October 8, 2014). "Victoria breaking the law by not releasing mine reports: UVic law centre". Vancouver Sun (Postmedia Network Inc.). https://vancouversun.com/technology/Victoria+breaking+releasing+mine+reports+UVic+centre/10271696/story.html. Retrieved 23 December 2014. 
  15. Kresnyak, Danny (April 29, 2015). "First Nation group launches protest to halt re-opening of Mount Polley mine". http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/first-nation-group-launches-protest-halt-re-opening-mount-polley-mine. 
  16. James Keller (21 August 2014). "'Lack of confidence' in B.C. from Alaskan fishing industry since Mount Polley breach". Globe and Mail (The Canadian Press). https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/lack-of-confidence-in-bc-from-alaskan-fishing-industry-since-mount-polley-breach/article20163310/. Retrieved 23 December 2014. 
  17. Imperial Metals. "Mount Polley Updates-Tailings Breach Information". Imperial Metals Corporation. http://www.imperialmetals.com/s/Mt_Polley_Update.asp?ReportID=671041. Retrieved 2014-09-14. 
  18. "Globe and Mail, "Mount Polley Spill taints Alaska-B.C. mine relations"". https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/mount-polley-spill-taints-alaska-bc-mine-relations/article22741378/. 
  19. Justine Hunter (14 October 2014). "B.C. didn't inspect Mount Polley mine in 2010, 2011". The Globe and Mail (The Globe and Mail Inc). https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-didnt-inspect-mount-polley-mine-in-2010-2011/article21084272/. Retrieved 23 December 2014. 
  20. CP (26 September 2018). "Three engineers to face disciplinary hearings in Mount Polley dam collapse". Vancouver Sun. https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/three-engineers-to-face-disciplinary-hearings-in-mount-polley-disaster. Retrieved 27 September 2018. 
  21. "Remediation Plan Mount Polley Mine Perimeter Embankment Breach". Golder Associates Ltd.. 2019-03-29. https://www.imperialmetals.com/assets/docs/mt-polley/2019-03-golder-remediation-plan.pdf. Retrieved 2020-04-22. 
  22. "Is Mount Polley Dumping Waste into Quesnel Lake?". https://mountpolley.com/is-mount-polley-dumping-waste-into-quesnel-lake/. 
  23. Deborah Epps (2018-12-19). "Comparison of Continuous and Grab Sample Turbidity Data from the Quesnel River near Likely from August 2014 to May 2016". British Columbia Ministry of Environment. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/spills-and-environmental-emergencies/docs/mt-polley/sample-monitor/2018-12-19_memo_quesnel_lake_turbidity.pdf. Retrieved 2020-04-22. 
  24. Deborah Epps (2016-12-08). "Quesnel Lake Water Quality for samples collected August 4, 2014 to August 30, 2016 compared to Drinking Water and Aquatic Life Guidelines". British Columbia Ministry of Environment. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/spills-and-environmental-emergencies/docs/mt-polley/sample-monitor/2016-12-08_final_ql_memo.pdf. Retrieved 2020-04-22. 
  25. Deborah Epps (2016-10-19). "Quesnel River Water Quality for samples collected August 4, 2014 to August 4, 2016 compared to Drinking Water and Aquatic Life Guidelines". British Columbia Ministry of Environment. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/spills-and-environmental-emergencies/docs/mt-polley/sample-monitor/2016-10-19_memo_quesnelriver.pdf. Retrieved 2020-04-22. 
  26. Deborah Epps (2016-10-19). "Polley Lake Water Quality for samples collected September 15, 2014 to August 25, 2016 compared to Drinking Water and Aquatic Life Guidelines". British Columbia Ministry of Environment. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/spills-and-environmental-emergencies/docs/mt-polley/sample-monitor/2016-11-21_final_pl_memo.pdf. Retrieved 2020-04-22. 
  27. Deborah Epps (2016-01-20). "Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel River Water Quality for samples collected December 3 and December 10, 2015 compared to Drinking Water Guidelines". https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/spills-and-environmental-emergencies/docs/mt-polley/sample-monitor/hazeltine-creek-and-quesnel-river-dw.pdf. Retrieved 2020-04-22. 
  28. Lyn Anglin. "How things were made right after the Mount Polley spill". Resource Works. https://www.resourceworks.com/polley-remediation. 
  29. Sunny Dhillon (7 September 2014). "Reopen Mount Polley mine, union says". The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/reopen-mount-polley-mine-union-says/article20464893/. Retrieved 2014-09-14. 
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  32. "Mount Polley Rehabilitation and Remediation Strategy - Human Health Risk Assessment". Golder Associates. 11 May 2017. https://www.imperialmetals.com/assets/docs/mt-polley/HHRA_11MAY_17.pdf. Retrieved 11 May 2017. 
  33. "Mount Polley Rehabilitation and Remediation Strategy - Ecological Risk Assessment". Golder Associates. 15 December 2017. https://www.imperialmetals.com/assets/docs/mt-polley/Ecological-Risk-Assessment.pdf. Retrieved 13 July 2015. 
  34. "2014 Breach Overview". Imperial Metals. https://www.imperialmetals.com/our-operations/mount-polley-mine/breach-overview. 
  35. "Mount Polley spill: Testing finds elevated selenium in fish". CBC. 2014-08-22. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mount-polley-spill-testing-finds-elevated-selenium-in-fish-1.2744343. Retrieved 2014-09-14. 
  36. Canadian Press (2014-08-29). "Mount Polley mine breach: Elevated levels of chemical elements near tailings pond". Vancouver Sun. https://vancouversun.com/business/Mount+Polley+mine+breach+Elevated+levels+chemical+elements/10161351/story.html. Retrieved 2014-09-14. 
  37. "Imperial Metals acquires 100 per cent of Huckleberry Mines". Prince George Daily News. 9 April 2017. https://pgdailynews.ca/index.php/2017/04/09/3468/. 
  38. "Newcrest takes over at Red Chris JV". The Canadian Mining Journal. 16 August 2019. https://www.mining.com/newcrest-takes-over-at-red-chris-jv/. Retrieved 22 April 2020. 
  39. "Imperial Metals to Suspend Operations at Mount Polley Mine". My Cariboo Now. 8 January 2019. https://www.mycariboonow.com/43690/operations-suspended-at-mount-polley-mine/. Retrieved 22 April 2020. 
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