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British Columbia: Canadian Pacific Railways Charged With Violations of the Fisheries Act |
| June 11, 2004 |
Source: Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre
By Andy Torr
AquaNews staff writer
 | | Marine traffic and water pollution threaten Burrard Inlet, a busy shipping lane. Photo: Margaret Butschler |
The company responsible for a train derailment near Vancouver that polluted Burrard Inlet with an industrial chemical is now facing charges under the federal Fisheries Act.
Canadian Pacific Railways Ltd. appeared in a BC Provincial Court yesterday on two charges of spilling glycol, a toxic ingredient commonly used in anti-freeze, into Burrard Inlet.
On February 5, 2003, a Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed at Pacific Coast Terminals in Port Moody, British Columbia. Two of the seven derailed cars allegedly leaked glycol into a nearby ditch. The spill eventually seeped into Burrard Inlet, doing unknown damage to the local aquatic ecosystem. The total volume of the spill was estimated at between 14,000 and 16,000 US gallons of glycol.
After a lengthy investigation, Environment Canada laid the charges on May 10, 2004 under subsection 36(3) of the federal Fisheries Act. This section of the Act prohibits any person from depositing or permitting a deposit of a deleterious (harmful) substance into waters frequented by fish. First offenses under subsection 36(3) are punishable by a fine up to $300,000. Any subsequent offenses are punishable by a fine up to $300,000, a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.
Environment Canada investigates alleged offences under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 and the Fisheries Act, in order to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations that protect the Canadian environment.
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