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June 6, 1986 News 985-2131

at td; 383 ae Avenue,
was:slapped with the’fine’ Wednes-

day by: North’ Vancouver: provin- -

_ chal Court:-Judge J:K: Shaw.
“Maximum: fine’ for, those found :

‘guilty under “section 33 Q) of the .

Fisheries Act is $50,000.
I aking: his® decision, “Judge
“Shaw. said he" was satisfied that the
ygompany was aware the substance
‘dumped down a private storm

B.C. MINISTRY. of the Environ-
ment.” conservation’: officer Doug
Adolph...“‘hopefully ‘the outcome
will convince other industries on
the North Shore and everywhere to
examine carefully their disposal
practices.'".

He said Epsilon continued
discharging pollutants into . the
creek despite concerns of area citi-
zens and despite being warned July

1985 by the District of North
Vancouver water sewer superin-
tendent.that-the dumping should
be stopped ‘‘because Fisheries
wouldn't like it.”

ARGUMENT DISMISSED
Judge Shaw dismissed Epsilon’s

argument as specious that the
substance dumped into the creck,

on Ke

‘Classified 986-6222 Circulation 986-1337 28 pages 25¢

By TIMOTHY RENSHAW 7
"News Reporte:

RESYN. 3456; was” not - - harmfu
when diluted in the creek water: : -”
He ruled that section 33 (2) of .
_the Fisheries Act, under which the -
company was charged, prohibits.
the ~ dumping ~ of “'deleterious-
substances in water frequented by
fish, and controls what
ed tothe water; : "rath

nea was originally charge
in January following ° a ‘six-mont

_ investigation into a July 30, 1985,

_ chemical spill in Lynn Creek. .

*;; The spill -was witnéssed by’ B.C:
* Ministry of; Environment : conser- .
~ vation officer. Doug Adolph, who

“was in the area’ following up- in-
vestigations into a July 9 spill of
toxic materials into the creek.

After the original charge was

laid, Epsilon president: Alvise Buz- .

_zaccrini said the substance poured ©

sand and cellulose from Epsilon’s
regular equipment wash-offs.

TOXIC ACETATE

’. Evidence introduced during the
trial identified the substance spilled
July 30 as a mixture of toxic
polyviny! acctate resin used by Ep-
silon to make stucco.

In tests conducted. by the
ministry, 10 fish introduced into
samples of the resin died within 20
minutes.

In an interview following the
decision, Adolph said evidence in-
dicated the dumping had been car-
ried out on a weekly basis.

He estimated the July 30 spill to
be 25 gallons.

Adolph said he was pleased that
the ministry had been successful in
prosecuting the case: ‘‘Hopefully
the outcome will convince other
industries on the North Shore and
everywhere 10 examine | carefully
their disposal practices.”