If SFU does actually buck up and rectify a problem they may have possibly created then good on them. It is so good to see a corporation if you can call it that admit to having created a problem and are willing to be part of the solution to fix the problem.
Now has anyone heard if any action has been taken or better yet any fish replaced from this one:
CN Rail faces five charges in Cheakamus River train cargo spill
Glenda Luymes, The Province
Published: Saturday, August 04, 2007
CN Rail is facing five charges related to the devastating train derailment that decimated the Cheakamus River salmon population two years ago.
If convicted, the national rail company could be forced to pay more than $3.5 million in fines, provincial Environment Minister Barry Penner said Saturday.
"The charges reflect just how seriously we view the spill. "It was a terrible situation, " he said.
Two years ago Sunday, nine CN rail cars flipped off the tracks north of Squamish, spilling 40,000 litres of toxic caustic soda into the Cheakamus River. The chemical compound stripped the river of oxygen, killing about 500,000 trout, salmon and other fish.
"It still makes me anxious just thinking about it. I had been evironment minister for six weeks and that was not a good phone call to get," said Penner.
CN Rail spokesperson Kelli Svendsen couldn't comment on the charges, except to say two fall under the federal Fisheries Act and three under the B.C. Environmental Management Act.
"We're reviewing the charges," she said. "What's really important for us is the recovery."
A few months after the derailment, CN implemented a new "safety action plan" and began increasing train inspections, buying new safety equipment and improving its enforcement of safety regulations.
So far this year, there have been 53 main track accidents, compared to 79 in 2005 and 63 in 2006.
"We're seeing a 20 per cent reduction so far," said Svendsen.
CN is also remains involved in recovery efforts on the Cheakamus River.
Penner said the rail company has already been assessed about $200,000 for river clean-up costs under provincial environmental legislation. He said he expects the companies involved in the recent oil line rupture in Burnaby will also receive invoices for the clean-up in that situation.
Similar to the CN derailment, both the Transportation Safety Board and the Ministry of Environment will be investigating the oil spill.
Penner could not comment on if and when charges could be expected in the oil spill incident.
gluymes@png.canwest.comAny updates??