of wee aby neat oe Your Number One | Suburban Newspaper E OF NORTH AND WEST FACES UP TO $50,000 FINE THE B.C. Ministry of Environment has charged a North Vancouver manufacturing company with discharging a deleterious. substance into Lynn Creek. Epsilon Building Materials Ltd., 383 Lynn Avenue, faces the charge in connec- tion with a July 30 spill into the North Vancouver creek. EARLIER SPILL The spill was witnessed by ministry conservation officer Doug Adolph, who was in the area following up a July 9 toxic spill three weeks after it occurred. The earlier spill was discovered when a federal Fisheries and Wildlife crew stumbled onto the highly toxic soup of industrial chemicals spewing into Lynn Creek from a 2!-inch sewer outlet on July 9. The source of the July 9 spill was narrowed down to one of three electro-plating businesses located along Charlowte Road in the i dustrial Lynnmour area on the east bank of the creek, Extent of the original spill and numbers of fish killed have yet to be ascertained. ESTABLISH BLAME Charges were never laid in the July 9 spill ‘because we were never able to establish that the material spilled came from the particular plant suspected,’’ Bill Hazledine told the News Friday. But the Ministry of En- vironment’s regional conser- vation officer for the Lower Mainland region added that company’s the July 30 spill was eye- witnessed by Adolph, who was acting on information that spills into the creek were taking place on a regular basis. Epsilon, a manufacturer of thermal stucco material, faces fines under section 33 (2) of the Federal Fisheries Act of up to $50,000 on conviction on the charge. HARMLESS SAND Epsilon president Alvise Buzzaccrini said Friday that material spilled was harmless sand and cellulose from the regular IF YOU'RE tired of the grind, and want to x: away from it all, the North Shore News could sen-: you and a partner ‘on assignment’ to Hawaii with seven nights of free accommodation. Just fill out an application at any of the 63- participating North Shore businesses listed in today’s paper on page 30, and you could be a winner, Contest closes Feb. 28. S Dy: chow! This mutt likes lunch: a fa “Oscar --t! this ‘canine plunges “washoffs’’? of equipment. “We have proof that there was no detrimental effect from the washoff,’” Buzzac- crini said. ‘‘We have done nothing wrong. They are do- ing their joo and we are do- ing ours, but I don't think they have any basis for their charge.” HARD EVIDENCE Buzzaccrini said the com- pany performs washoffs once per month. Though no fish were killed as a result of the July 30 spili, Hazledine said subse- quent tests run on the mate- “head: ‘first ‘into somebody’s trash along Marine Drive . in West:Vancouver. ' rial spilled showed it to be toxic to fish. “We only lay charges when we feel we have the evidence to support them,"’ Hazledine said. The charge, laid Thurs- day, is the first one to be laid in North Vancouver for at least a year, Hazledine added. The environment ministry is keeping a close watch on the Lynn Creek area, he said, ‘‘but we rely heavily on the cooperation of the public to advise of any spills that they may witness.”’ Epsilon will appear in NorthVancouver court Feb.10.