Nelson Star, August 02, 2013

Page 1

Bre a k i ng n e ws at n el s on st ar. c om

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Friday, August 2 • 2013

Vol. 6 • Issue 10

Matti Erickson brings home gold See Page 18

Requiem for a Glacier performed at Jumbo See Page 8

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More than 250 people packed into the Winlaw Community Hall on Tuesday night for a public meeting on the jet fuel spill in Lemon Creek.

Bob Hall photo

Fuel spill meeting emotional

Overflow audience poses questions about Lemon Creek disaster during four-hour meeting at Winlaw

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BOB HALL Nelson Star Editor

More than 250 people packed into the Winlaw Community Hall Tuesday night and 100 more spilled into the parking lot outside for an emotional information meeting about the jet fuel spill in Lemon Creek. Organized by the Regional District of Central Kootenay, the meeting was intended to provide information and answer questions about the 33,000 litres of jet fuel that was dumped

into Lemon Creek on Friday after an Executive Flight Centre tanker truck toppled into the water source, forcing an evacuation of 800 homes. “I’m very concerned about the health of my family and the health of my community,” said an emotional Jane Flotron who owns a small farm one kilometre from where the spill took place. Chaired by RDCK regional fire chief Terry Swan, the panel included representatives from Interior Health, the Ministry of Health,

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Ministry of Environment, RDCK area directors, Ministry of Agriculture, Executive Flight Centre and consultants working on the clean-up effort. Questions and concerns ranged from the availability of drinking water to the process used in the Friday/ Saturday evacuation to whether the company responsible for the spill will face formal charges. At times, the tone was angry and frustrated, but appreciation for the efforts being undertaken so far by

officials was also expressed. As he has done previously, Executive Flight Centre senior vice-president Wayne Smook apologized when given his turn at the microphone. “We know water and the watershed is very important to this valley,” he said. “I truly apologize, but it was an accident.” Interior Health’s medical health officer Dr. Trevor Corbeil told the crowd that the Do Not Use order will stay in place for at least the next few days.

“I can tell you now, you will not be using the water for the next five days,” Corbeil said, adding that it could be even longer before Lemon Creek, the Slocan River and Kootenay River are cleared for any kind of ingestion or recreation. Though the crowd slowly started to trickle out after 9 p.m., the questions continued until 11 p.m. For the latest on the situation, see nelsonstar.com. See related coverage Pages 4, 6, and 7

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