Both postings said the emergency phase is over, but the regulator deferred comment Friday on any effects to the companies involved.
It added that the water was surface run-off and did not contain any chemicals or other substances that would adversely affect the environment. “There have been so many incidents of that happening so far this year across mines across the province at both coal mines and oilsands mines,” she said Friday in an interview. “It’s very clear that we’re putting a lot of stress on these rivers and these watersheds that so many people depend on.”
“There can be selenium in there, which is poisonous to fish, which can be harmful to wildlife and the water,” she said. “The makeup of that wastewater is really important to understand what are the environmental risks.”“It’s obvious that infrastructure needs to improve to buffer against these extreme weather events, which we know are going to increase with climate change,” she said.