Conservation Officers(COS) near Quesnel are investigating a large amount of tire and garbage dumping in Ten Mile Lake.
CO Justin Millet, in Quesnel, says concerned members of the public first reported the tires and garbage in the first week of March.
The piles were found to the north of Bjornsen Road, just north of Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park.
“Bjornsen is a fairly busy road for being a rural road. We’re hoping that somebody saw something and has some information that they can provide,” Millet said, adding that at this time, COS is unsure of what exactly happened or how many people could be involved.
Millet said there is no immediate harmful environmental impacts from the tires and garbage being dumped. However, as time passes, he said that the chemicals and products used to make the rubber will slowly leach off into the groundwater.
“The effects may not be huge right now, but it is eventually going to add up to being a little bit of an environmental hazard, and not stuff people are going to want in their drinking water.”
In cases like this, Millet says there could be several different options to look into for penalties, depending on what the investigation uncovers about the circumstances of the dumps.
Those responsible could be ordered to clean up the mess or ordered to pay for the cleanup and environmental assessments. Violation Tickets could also be issued, and they could face court appearances.
If any members of the public have information or see anything suspicious, they can report it on the Conservation Office’s 24-hour RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.
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