Courier-Islander, January 26, 2011

Concerns about arsenic levels in Long Lake have resulted in increased monitoring of Quinsam Coal Corp.'s mining activities and enforcement of provincial regulations, says an official with the Ministry of Environment, but the lake will not be declared a contaminated site.

Last week Ecojustice - formerly known as the Sierra Legal Defence Fund - joined the Campbell River Environmental Committee, the Campbell River Estuary Protection Group, the Haig-Brown Institute, and the Greenways Land Trust in calling on the ministry to declare the lake, 30 kilometres west of Campbell River, a contaminated site based on high levels of arsenic found in sediment. Recent studies by the Canadian Water Network found arsenic levels to be 630 parts per million, which they claim is 30 times higher than the level that qualifies the lake to be declared a contaminated site.

The groups said the arsenic was entering the lake from coal-mining operations and they are concerned that the problem would get worse if the mine was allowed to extend its operations as the company proposed. But Gary Gould, vice-president of Hillsborough Resources, which owns the mine, said the lake had high background levels of arsenic before mining operations began in 1987.

"It is what occurs naturally in the environment of Long Lake and other lakes in the area," he said. The mine has 53 employees. Gould said the company is not planning to expand production at the mine but had applied for a permit to open up a new area and hoped to be in production later this year.

Ministry official Colin Grewar said new requirements for managing arsenic have been imposed on the mine, which is required to collect and treat seep water containing arsenic and iron laden precipitate.

"The company is required to report to the ministry on their progress by Jan. 31," said Grewar.

The company also has been directed to evaluate the extent and biological implications of its arsenic leachate and precipitate. Gould said the company's studies have shown that mining has increased sulphur and iron levels in the lake but not arsenic. However, UBC's Dr. William Cullen, a lead author of the Canadian Water Network study, told city council in November that Gould's assessment was "a gross distortion" of the facts.

Meanwhile, the ministry is not considering declaring Long Lake a contaminated site, said Grewar.

"Ministry staff have reviewed water chemistry data and determined that the arsenic levels are within the B.C. water quality objectives and guidelines for drinking water and the protection of aquatic life," he said. "Fish surveys have found fish populations to be healthy and typical of other lakes in the area."

Grewar said mining was one of the sources of arsenic in the lake but natural sediment levels of arsenic in Long Lake were well above the B.C. interim sediment quality guideline and the contaminated sites sediment quality standards before mining.

"The local geology is rich in arsenic and as a result Long Lake and other lakes and streams in the area contain naturally elevated sediment arsenic levels," he said. Grewar said that if the company proceeds with plans to expand operations, the ministry would ensure Quinsam Coal Corp. developed a plan "that preserves the ecological values of the area."

"The ministry will continue to work with the company, the community and the Environmental Technical Review Committee to ensure the long-term health of Long Lake," he said.

© Courier-Islander (Campbell River) 2011

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