B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has fined the City of Prince Rupert $165,460 for non-compliance at three waste disposal sites.
The city holds provincial permits to operate landfills, but the Wantage Road Landfill, the Prince Rupert Landfill, and the Sewer Outfalls failed to meet required standards.
The Prince Rupert Landfill on Ridley Island Road received the largest penalty—$121,000.
This site, in operation since 1991, is expected to remain active for another 50 years.
Meanwhile, the Wantage Road Landfill was fined $26,000 for leachate detection in Hays Creek and years of ongoing violations.
This landfill, active from the 1970s until 1990, is now used occasionally for uncontaminated soil disposal from construction projects, with prior environmental consultations.
The city has yet to respond to the penalties.
Sewer outfalls been fined $18,460 for sewage discharge violations.
The penalty stems from untreated sewage flowing into the aquatic environment, delays in system upgrades, and repeated non-compliance over several years.
The city’s sewer and drainage system, which dates back to the early 1900s, is in poor condition.
Currently, raw sewage from ten different sewer areas is discharged untreated into Prince Rupert Harbour.
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