Stakeholder+Notification+1+MPMC…likely-bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/160422MPMCPostR.pdf · On...
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Stakeholder Notification 1 MPMC Exceedance of Permit Limit for Copper April 23, 2016 The email and MPMC notification memo (dated April 22, 2016), attached below, was received from Mount Polley Mine (MPMC) today. It is is being posted on the internet by the Likely and District Chamber of Commerce (Likely Chamber) as a public information service to the community, based in part on the fact that MPMC has not yet provided this information to the public on their website. Disclaimer: Please note that the Likely Chamber excludes all representations, warranties, undertakings and guarantees relating to the MPMC notification. In addition, the Likely Chamber does not represent, warrant, undertake or guarantee that the notification and information posted on behalf of MPMC is correct, accurate, complete or non?misleading. Thanks, Doug Watt Likely Chamber Liaison
Transcript of Stakeholder+Notification+1+MPMC…likely-bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/160422MPMCPostR.pdf · On...
Stakeholder+Notification+1+MPMC+Exceedance+of+Permit+Limit+for+Copper+!April!23,!2016!!The!email!and!MPMC!notification!memo!(dated!April!22,!2016),!attached!below,!was!received!from!Mount!Polley!Mine!!(MPMC)!today.!It!is!is!being!posted!on!the!internet!by!the!Likely!and!District!Chamber!of!Commerce!(Likely!Chamber)!as!a!public!information!service!to!the!community,!based!in!part!on!the!fact!that!MPMC!has!not!yet!provided!this!information!to!the!public!on!their!website.!!Disclaimer:!Please¬e&that&the&Likely&Chamber&excludes&all&representations,&warranties,&undertakings&and&guarantees&relating&to&the&MPMC¬ification.&In&addition,&the&Likely&Chamber&does¬&represent,&warrant,&undertake&or&guarantee&that&the¬ification&and&information&posted&on&behalf&of&MPMC&is&correct,&accurate,&complete&or&non?misleading.!!Thanks,!Doug!Watt!Likely!Chamber!Liaison!
Sunday,(April(24,(2016(at(10:11:09(AM(Pacific(Daylight(Time
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Subject: Stakeholder+No-fica-on+1+Exceedance+of+Permit+Limit+for+Copper
Date: Friday,+April+22,+2016+at+7:14:47+PM+Pacific+Daylight+Time
From: Colleen+Hughes
To: lisa+k+([email protected]),+Douglas+(Mobile)+WaS,
[email protected],+Steve+Forseth+([email protected]),+Al+Richmond
CC: Bunce,+Hubert+ENV:EX,+Demchuk,+Tania+EMNG:EX,+Yamelst,+Brian+H+ENV:EX,
[email protected],+Don+Parsons,+Dale+Reimer,+Luke+Moger,+Art+Frye
Good+Evening,
+
Please+see+the+aSached+no-fica-on+regarding+the+exceedance+of+permiSed+limit+for+copper.+If+you+have+any
ques-ons+about+this+please+feel+free+to+contact+me+at+this+email+address+or+at+the+number+below.
+
Best+Regards,
+
Colleen&Hughes,&EPEnvironmental&CoordinatorMount&Polley&Mining&[email protected]@790@2617&P+Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
&+
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Mount Polley Mining Corporation an Imperial Metals company
MEMORANDUM Date: 2016-04-22 To: Community of Likely and Cariboo Regional District From: Mount Polley Mining Corporation Re: Mount Polley Mine Ceases Discharge of Treated Water due to an Exceedance of Permit Limit for Total Copper at E304230 (Mount Polley Mine Effluent Discharge location HAD-03). On November 30, 2015, Mount Polley Mining Corporation (MPMC) received an amendment to Permit 11978 issued by the BC Ministry of Environment (MoE) under the BC Environmental Management Act (EMA) for a short-term water management strategy to discharge treated effluent into Quesnel Lake via Hazeltine Creek. Section 1.3 of the amended Permit 11678 outlines the permitted characteristics of the treated discharge. The current permit limit for total copper at the effluent discharge location HAD-03 is 0.012 mg/L. On April 4, 2016, MPMC Environmental Department staff collected a water sample at the outlet of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) identified as HAD-03 on site and referenced as E304230. Results of the April 4 sample showed an increased total copper concentration of 0.0229 mg/L, which exceeded the effluent permit limit of 0.012 mg/L. Subsequent water samples collected from HAD-03 on April 11, 13, and 19 had total copper concentrations of 0.0144, 0.0166, and 0.0132 mg/L, respectively, which were lower, but still exceeded the effluent permit limit. On April 21, 2016, at 16:40, Ms. Hughes of MPMC contacted Hubert Bunce of the MoE and apprised him of the findings and that MPMC had ceased discharging at 13:00 on April 20, 2016, and was undertaking steps to confirm the water sample results. Additional Testing On April 21, 2016 additional water samples were collected at other mine site locations to potentially identify the source of the elevated copper results. These samples were submitted with
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a request for rush analysis and results are still pending. Results of available water quality are discussed below. Total copper concentrations in the treated effluent discharge at HAD-03 met the effluent permit limit from the commencement of discharge in December 2015 until early April 2016 (Figure 1). The peak in total copper concentration at HAD-03 on April 4 corresponded with the trend of increasing concentrations observed at other locations in recent months (Figure 2). Copper concentrations in Springer Pit (E-11) are lower than in the WTP feed (E-19), which suggests there is elevated copper in the site runoff water that is also conveyed through the WTP. On April 5, a day after the first discharge exceedance, water samples taken from the Central Collection Sump (E-18), SERD Ditch, and Long Ditch had total copper concentrations of 0.133, 0.117, and 0.211 mg/L, respectively. These locations appear to be the source of elevated copper related to the exceedance. Discharge concentrations at HAD-03 are lower than the E-19 WTP feed indicating there is some removal of copper in the WTP. Copper concentrations at HAC-13 upstream of the WTP are higher than the discharge concentrations suggesting copper sources not related to the effluent and concentrations decline at HAC-12 downstream of the discharge. Copper remains below the chronic BC water quality guideline of 0.002 mg/L in Quesnel Lake at QUL-58 (Figure 3). Copper concentrations in Hazeltine Creek at HAC-13 and HAC-12 increased in early March 2016, peaked in early April, and have decreased in the most recent April samples. These trends corresponded to increased turbidity in the creek during the same period (Figure 4) and likely reflect the influence of snow melt and spring freshet on water quality. Freshet is also expected to contribute to site runoff water that is conveyed through the WTP and the peak in the discharge concentration on April 4 may reflect this. The decreasing copper concentrations observed in the discharge since April 4 suggests that this exceedance is likely to be temporary.
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Figure 1. Total copper concentrations in treated effluent at HAD-03 since commencement of discharge in December 2015.
Figure 2. Total copper concentrations at various mine site locations in 2016, ordered from upstream to downstream of the effluent discharge.
Figure 3. Total copper concentrations in Quesnel Lake at QUL-58 at the diffused outflow in 2016.
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Figure 4. Turbidity at various mine site locations in 2016, ordered from upstream to downstream of the effluent discharge.
