Mount Polley - Chief Inspector of Mines' Report Released
Posted on December 17, 2015
As stated in the news release issued by the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines, “the CIM report found, as did the Independent Expert Panel in January, that the dam failed because the strength and location of a layer of clay underneath the dam was not taken into account in the design or in subsequent dam raises. The chief inspector also found other factors including the slope of the perimeter embankment, inadequate water management, insufficient beaches and a sub-excavation at the outside toe of the dam exacerbated the collapse of the dam and the ensuing environmental damage.”
The investigation did not find evidence that there were any actions that would warrant a recommendation to Crown Counsel for charges pursuant to the Mines Act. Although the report indicates that the mine failed to operate using best available practices, the investigation found that operations on the mine site were not in contravention of any regulation.
The report contains 19 recommendations directed toward the mining operator, the mining industry, professional organizations and the government regulator. With respect to APEGBC’s role, the report recommends:
- APEGBC should develop specific practice guidelines for site investigation, roles and responsibilities of the Engineer of Record (EoR), standards of practice for transfer of EoR, especially when the transfer involves changing engineering companies, and standards for engineering presence on site during construction.
APEGBC is conducting its own investigation into this incident and welcomes the new information contained in today’s report. APEGBC will be reviewing the report in detail to determine what impacts it has for the association as the regulator of the professions of engineering and geoscience in the province.