Teck Resources will pay a $1.425 million fine in relation to charges under the Fisheries Act relating to the October 2014 fish mortality incident.

The fine stems from three charges filed against the company when fish were found dead after the launch of the West Line Creek Active Water Treatment Facility.

Funds are expected to be used for purposes related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat or the restoration of fish habitat in the East Kootenay, Teck noted in a media release.

Following the incident an extensive investigation was undertaken and numerous measures to prevent a reoccurrence were implemented. These included improved monitoring and incident response programs, additional process controls, and creation of an effluent buffer pond to allow early identification and management of potential issues before discharge of water.

“From the outset we took full responsibility for this incident and recognize that we need to do better. Following this occurrence in 2014, we undertook a full investigation and implemented a number of steps to ensure this does not happen again,” said Robin Sheremeta, Senior Vice President, Teck Coal. “We are committed to working hard to continually improve our environmental performance and ensure the environment where we operate is protected.”

The fish mortality was believed to be related to levels of certain constituents including nitrite, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and phosphorous unintentionally discharged into the water during commissioning of the facility, while low levels of oxygen in the receiving environment may have also been a factor.

The West Line Creek Active Water Treatment Facility at Line Creek Operations is currently operating and achieving design specifications for reducing selenium and nitrate concentrations in treated water, Teck reported.

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