Charges mulled in N. Van creek chlorine spill Mackay Creek pollution aftermath ‘could cost North Vancouver District _ & FISH kill last September in North Vancouver’s Mackay Creek “could result in pollution charges being laid against North Vancouver District. BY Chery! Ziola ‘ontributing Writer : A Sept. 11, 1993, electrical storm caused a district pump valve to mal- & ‘function, spilling chlorinated drinking water unchecked into the creek. . The spill killed 2,000 coho fry being raised in a creekside pen by the ‘Worth Shore Fish and Game Club. Mackay Creek runs from Grouse Mountain through Edgemont, past the ‘west side of Capilano Mall and into Burrard Inlet. It supports populations of cutthroat trout, and coho, pink and chum : goimon. An investigation by the provincial Ministry of the Environment con- cjuded June 10 with evidence being forwarded to Crown counsel, which li decide within 30 days whether charges will be laid. . Fish and Game Club member Paul Lhotka was surprised the district had fi0 emergency backup pump system to check the spillage. ’ “Qne would think there would be some sort of backup system. J would be pushing for those things to be put in place.” Lhotka said the spill was only one example of how badly the water sys- yer is managed. : He added that Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) plans to add more chlorine into the drinking water as a secondary treatment will make ls even more toxic: “We've (club members) written lots of letters to various people in the GvWD. I appreciate what they're trying to do in terms of saving money. ‘pa‘a taxpayer. and.I’m paying lots of tax. But I don’t think this is a place e should be trying to save a few dollars.” The. Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) has ‘approved the pse of chlorine over chloramine as the secondary treatment for local water. . Lhotka ‘said chlorine was “definitely the lesser of two evils,” but he **.., they have to do a better job of looking at the options.” ronment Ministry industrial investigations supervisor Fred Barnes glad the spill didn’t involve chloramine, which would have been See Problem page § lestview upgrade long on wish list froin page. 1 _/“Pve been campaigning to end " shis nightmare,” said Schreck. : He said calls for a Westview interchange started 30 years ago. 2 The Westview interchange was sfiginally announced in 1985 by the ocial Credit government as part of : $30 million project to build both Upper Levels Highway overpasses. a Pressure to eliminate traffic iights at the Westview intersection as increased since the completion f the Cassiar connector and the ¥ Lonsdale interchange. ‘ Westview is the last intersection fn the Lower Mainiand’s portion of “the Trans-Canada Highway still ‘controlled by traffic lights. It is the igite of daily traffic jams from com- puter and ferry vehicles. * According to the Transportation ‘and Highways Ministry, the inter- ‘change project will also include a ‘pew pacallel bridge over Mosquito ? Cfeek and the widening to six lanes , sof the highway from west of :, Mosquito Creek to just east of the ,Lonsdaie interchange. Schreck said seven properties Pear the intersection would be ‘ pought to make way for the inter- : change. Te eusd iS Leet . NEWS photo Nell Lucents ON JULY 2, The Bicycle People crossed the Lions Gate Bridge to raise public awareness about transportation alternatives. The group advocates fewer cars, dedicatad bus lanes in each direction, and wider bicycle and pedestrian lanes cn the bridge. Local potash business in limbo A VANCOUVER Port Corp. fishing expedition came up empty-handed recently when the media failed to discover whether Saskatchewan’s Canpotex has chosen Portland over Vancouver as an export shipping point. By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter Vancouver Wharves president David Alsop said he thought the port was trying to ferret out Canpotex’s plans through reporters, but the effort was stymied because Canpotex has not yet made its decision. Canpotex, one of the Port of Vancouver’s biggest shippers, is owned by a consortium of Saskatchewan QUEENS CHESTERFIELD THE UPPER Levels Highway interchange at Westview Drive was officially given the go-ahead on Monday. The province plans to have the $33.5 million project compteted by early 1998. potash producers. Up to one million tonnes of potash is shipped every year by Vancouver Wharves, a general cargo terminal in North Vancouver. In an effort to keep the Canpotex business, Vancouver Wharves resubmitted its original tender. Alsop believes the terminal is still a contender for the contract. But he was not surprised that the consortium was looking at alternate ports because he has long been aware of their interest in pursuing cther options. The 12-day longshoremen’s strike earlier this year may have influenced Canpotex’s decision to look else- where, he said. “But I den’t think that’s the only rea- son.” The port could lose hundreds of jobs if Canpotex decides to ship its product from Portland. index % A Day in Coutt..............42 M Budget Beaters.............. 46. Mi Business..........cccseseeen APE 84 Classifiied............0000 ee: Doug Collins... ccs . Comics............ 44 # Crossword ......... severe SO @ Bob Hunter.... & Inquiring Reporter.......... 12 BA Insights........... sasgeesseesenseees 6 @ Kids’ Stuff..... a Lifestyles. sesetensee soveeesees HE Mailbox... soassseneee 8 i News of the Weird........44 Bi North Shore Now..........24 LONSDALE graphic fi What's Going On.... @ Noel Wright. West Vancouver-Capilano ‘piberal MLA Jeremy Dalton said '¢he interchange was 30 years over- * due. _ “|: don’t have any quarrel with ‘this project,” said Dalton, adding ‘hat other announced transportation projects: amount to future debt for the province, The Westview interchange. afnouncement;fo}lows a host: of gethe hed Ege pe CALL US: 983-2208 other recent transportation project announcements that include: & new ferry construction; $3 expansion of ferry terminals; @ establishing commuter rail for the Coquitlam area; and @ upgrading the main highway on Vancouver Island. Clark said the government was . formulating a rational transporta- Abas tion plan for the province for the next 10 years. He said the Westview announcement could have been made in five years when there was ‘an absolute crisis.” Clark said the large expenses associated with the latest announce- ments will show up on the govern- ment books: “We wiil be balancing the budget.” Members of North Vancouver City and District councils were among the 90 people attending Monday’s announcement ceremony on the northwest corner of the inter- section. According to the Highways Ministry, construction contracts will be awarded next year for the Westview project. Weather Thursday: mainly sunny, high 20°C, low 13°C Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Is the $800-million ferry project justified, given B.C.’s debt?