GERALDTON, Ont. -- A court has fined the owner of a hydroelectric power project east of Lake Nipigon $150,000, plus a victim fine surcharge of $37,500, for violations of the Ontario Water Resources Act and the Environmental Protection Act.
The case centred on two investigations conducted by Ministry of the Environment staff at Namewaminikan Hydro Inc. (NHI) operations on the Namewaminikan River, north of Beardmore.
According to the ministry, MOE staff conducted a site visit in November 2015 and found that a pond that had been created at the site was being used as a water source, contrary to the terms of a permit. Ministry investigators also observed a discharge of sediment into the river from a dam in the river's North Channel.
In the spring of 2017, a dam structure failure at the Long Rapids section of the river resulted in a further discharge of sediment, which may have impaired the water quality. The sediment release was not reported for several days. A subsequent inspection turned up what the ministry determined were insufficient sediment control measures.
NHI was convicted Tuesday, March 27 in Geraldton court after pleading guilty to a total of five counts under the two acts.
