Cermaq fined $500K for 2017 diesel spill at fish farm off Vancouver Island
A provincial court judge has ordered the owner of a fish farm off northern Vancouver Island to pay $500,000 for spilling more than 500 litres of diesel fuel into the ocean in 2017.
Cermaq Canada, which owns the farm in Echo Bay, approximately 70 kilometres east of Port Hardy, admitted to failing to do its due diligence to prevent the spill on March 5, 2017.
The company said the spill occurred when an employee, who was transferring diesel from one tank to another, tied a rope around the fuel nozzle to keep it engaged while he attended to other duties.
The employee forgot about the fuel pump until the following day.
The coast guard estimated that approximately 522 litres of marine diesel overflowed from the tank, while an environmental cleanup company estimated that 550 litres were spilled.
The cleanup effort lasted several days with Cermaq covering the $885,000 cost for the recovery and remediation work.
Judge Catherine Ann Crockett heard from experts who testified that diesel contains chemicals that are harmful to fish, but found the evidence "inconclusive" on whether marine life was harmed.
"It is simply not possible to measure the impact of the marine diesel on all organisms," the judge wrote in her ruling. "No one observed any dead fish, including the salmon in the pens. The amount of harmful substances in organisms such as clams quickly dissipated to the point there was no health risk for consumers."
The Crown sought a fine of $1.4 million for unlawfully depositing a deleterious substance in water frequented by fish in contravention of the Fisheries Act, while Cermaq proposed a fine of $250,000.
In addition to the $500,000 fine, Cermaq has been ordered to publish the court's decision on its website for 90 days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.