This release was issued under a previous government.

Incident details

West Fraser Mills Ltd. has been charged with six counts under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and one count under the Dangerous Goods Transportation and Handling Act relating to the release of a substance into the atmosphere on or about Sept. 20, 2014, and failing to immediately report the release to Alberta Environment and Parks.

The charges include:

  • releasing or permitting the release of a substance that causes or may cause a significant adverse effect, an offence contrary to section 109(2) of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act;
  • failing to immediately report the release to the department as required, an offence contrary to section 110(1) of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act;
  • contravening a term or condition of an approval, an offence contrary to section 227(e) of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act;
  • failing to follow dangerous goods safety requirements while unloading chemicals from a truck, an offence contrary to section 30 (1) (a) of the Dangerous Goods Transportation and Handling Act.

The first court appearance is set for October 19, 2016 in Hinton.

Alberta Environment and Parks focuses on education, prevention and enforcement to ensure all Albertans continue to enjoy a clean and healthy environment. When individuals or companies fail to comply with legislation, Environment and Parks has a range of options, depending on the offence, to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.