A large energy company and a contractor have been fined $113,000 after pleading guilty to altering trout streams in northern B.C.
Anadarko Canada and Norcana were doing seismic testing southeast of Fort Nelson in 2004 and 2005 when investigators caught them using debris, instead of clean snow, to build winter bridges across many small streams.
Shawn Brinsky, a field supervisor with the B.C. Conservation Service in Fort Nelson, told CBC News on Tuesday that he is pleased about the conviction.
"I think [it sends] a very clear message that if you are going to conduct an industrial activity in and around fish habitat and streams, that there is a certain regulation standard that you're going to have to adhere to," said Brinsky. "You can't underestimate the effectiveness that a conviction in a court of law has."
A total of 114 stream crossings located in the Adsett Creek and Jackknife Creek watersheds, approximately 100 kilometres southeast of Fort Nelson, were inspected as part of the joint investigation by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service and the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission.
The creeks provide habitat for grayling and bull trout, according to the Ministry of the Environment
In all honesty I do not think the fines were as near as much as they should of been. Those companies being fined $65,000 and $48,000 is just chump change and the cost of doing business. Until 7 figure fines are handed out on a regular basis not much wil change in the way they do practice.
It also makes one wonder how much other damage those companies and others have done but have not been ccaught.
A little more here
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Topic: Companies fined $113K for endangering B.C. fish streams (Read 1495 times)