The Free Press, August 13, 2015

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Bibbity Bobbity Boo Page 14 FERNIE

Wapiti family music festival - Page 17 NATURE

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SPORT

Slow pitch - Page 19

Hundreds of festival goers enjoy a sunny Saturday afternoon while listening to Lovecoast during the fifth annual Wapiti Music Festival.

Photo by L. Scheitel

Work on Line Creek Treatment facilities to begin this fall By Leah Scheitel Free Press Staff

T

he Line Creek Treatment facilities, which shutdown in October 2014, are set to start in the fall, with full operations resuming in early 2016. The facility halted operation last fall after the deaths of 74 fish in a three-week period from midOctober to early November. The official cause of death was nitrate poisoning along with low oxygen levels in the water. The facility

failed to remove chemical from the water, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and carbohydrates. Nic Milligan, Teck manager of community and Aboriginal affairs, said that additional time is needed to address some of the comments and concerns about the operation of the plant. “We are taking time to address comments on the restart plan from various stakeholders, including regulators, to improve the operation of the plant, including improvements intended to prevent a reoccurrence of the unfortunate

fish mortality incident,” he said. The treatment facility’s intention is to remove selenium from the Fording River. An Environment Canada report released in 2014 cited high levels of selenium in the water as the cause behind birth defects in trout, including malformed spines, gills and fins, among other issues. The Line Creek Treatment facility is part of the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan, a five-year plan to combat the high selenium levels. The Line Creek facility costs $100 million and the overall plan has a price tag

of $600 million. “The water treatment facility is based on proven active biological treatment technology, which removes selenium and nitrate from mine-affected water. It is part of the overall water management efforts we are undertaking through the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan,” said Milligan. Plans for re-commissioning are slightly delayed, as it was originally set for mid-2015 with full operations starting by the fall.

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