 |
|
PRINCE GEORGE – The regional office of the Ministry of Environment served CN Rail with a
Pollution Prevention Order on Friday, Aug. 17. The order is related to
environmental impacts resulting from the recent railcar collision and fire near
Prince George and follows on-site inspections, requests for sampling results
and meetings with the company.
The
order requires CN Rail to:
·
Immediately inspect the
site and take action necessary to contain and collect hydrocarbons that are now
believed to be entering the Fraser River and to record those observations for
review by the ministry’s Environmental Protection Division.
·
Monitor the site daily
to ensure containment and collection systems are functioning as designed and
record those observations for the review of the Environmental Protection
Division.
·
Retain a qualified
professional to assess the extent of contamination at the site and develop a
clean-up plan that will prevent further release of contaminants into the Fraser
River.
·
The clean-up plan shall
include a schedule for clean-up activities and monitoring for the approval of
the director, Environmental Protection Division. The plan shall be submitted to
the Ministry of Environment by Aug. 24, 2007.
·
Provide the results of
any sampling or investigations within 24 hours of receipt of results.
The
order also states that failure to comply with the requirements of this order is
a contravention of the Environmental Management Act and may result in legal
action.
On
Saturday, Aug. 4, two CN trains collided near the train yards in Prince George,
resulting in the derailment of one engine and three railcars, which caught fire
and leaked burning diesel and gasoline down the river bank on the Fraser River.
Ministry
of Environment staff, Environment Canada and the Transportation Safety Board
all attended the original incident. All
three agencies continue to investigate the incident.
-30-
|
contact: |
Manager, Media Relations Ministry of Environment 250 953-4577 250 889-7972 (cell) |
|
|
|
||
|
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
||
