Saturday, August 9, 2014

Mt Polley Incident - Aug 9th update

1. Interior Health has lifted the do not use water advisory for communities that draw their water from Quesnel River north of where it narrows and is shallow. This includes most of the village of Likely. This partial rescinding of the advisory was done after considering the latest test results and the full impacts of the emotional, social and economic hardships of residents in the area.

2. Until further notice, the water quality advisory remains in place for communities that get their water from Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek, Cariboo Creek and all parts of Quesnel Lake, as well as the Quesnel River south of 6236 Cedar Creek Road. This includes the communities of Winkley Creek, Abbott Creek, Mitchell Bay and the East Arm of Quesnel Lake. Interior Health will continue to evaluate water samples as they arrive and will update the communities as more information becomes available. **Note: boiling will not help**

3. Public showers, along with containers for potable and grey water, have now arrived in Likely and will be functional today.

4. The Community Transition Manager from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training will be on the ground on Monday, co-locating with the United Steelworkers at their local office in Williams Lake, to coordinate support and gather intelligence on worker and community impacts and services.

5. WorkBC Employment Services Centre (ESC) supports help connect people with employment opportunities and skills training. These will be mobilized in the area next week and work is being done to determine the best way to connect with impacted workers. The WorkBC ESC will be available to join in any on the ground services and supports in Likely as needed, and will be available to visit Likely early next week.

6. The Province has established regular briefings with First Nations to ensure they are getting as much real-time information as possible.

More information and complete update available here:http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2014/08/mount-polley-tailings-pond-situation-update-1.html

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