UPDATE: 6:00 p.m.
A heli-skiing operation is cleaning up after a jet fuel leak at one of its back-country lodges north of Nakusp.
The spill at the CMH Galena Lodge occurred about 10 days ago, says a release from the Ministry of Environment. The lodge is located in the Badshot range of the Selkirk Mountains, about 80 kilometres by highway north of Nakusp.
Environment officials say between 5,000 and 6,500 litres of helicopter jet fuel was released from an underground storage tank. They say the spill has been contained.
The lodge is owned by Canadian Mountain Holidays Heli-skiing and Summer Adventures, based in Alberta.
鈥淓nvironmental remediation and assessment experts were brought in immediately on discovery to contain the release, evaluate the impact and lead remediation efforts,鈥 says a news release from CMH. 鈥淭heir efforts are ongoing and will continue until all related impacts are addressed.鈥
CMH says an environmental response officer from the BC Ministry of Environment has advised them that 鈥渉e is extremely satisfied with the approach and progress to date鈥.
鈥淭he fuel distribution system has been contained and the outside experts have advised that there are no indications of any downstream impacts in Lardeau Creek or Trout Lake,鈥 CMH says. 鈥淓nvironmental monitoring of the conditions is proceeding on a daily basis.鈥
Nearby Lardeau Creek drains into Trout Lake, which eventually leads into Kootenay Lake.
But some locals in the community of Trout Lake who contacted Arrow Lakes News about the spill say they鈥檙e frustrated.
Wes Heck, who鈥檚 lived on Lardeau Creek for the last four years, isn鈥檛 impressed with the lack of communication.
鈥淚t would be nice to know what鈥檚 going on,鈥 he says. 鈥淣o one really knows around here.鈥
Heck鈥檚 house is about 10 kilometres downstream from the lodge, and they draw some of their drinking water from Lardeau Creek.
鈥淗ow close was the spill to the water? What are they doing to clean it up?鈥 he asks. 鈥淚鈥檝e spilt diesel when I grew up in Alberta, and you don鈥檛 know where it could be going under the snow.鈥
But another Trout Lake resident contacted by Arrow Lakes News says he鈥檚 satisfied how the cleanup is proceeding.
鈥淥ur family鈥檚 been here 30 years, and they鈥檝e always been good neighbours,鈥 says Don Coller about CMH. Coller owns the general store in Trout Lake.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e never been anything but helpful and cooperative,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate, but stuff happens.鈥
CMH says the incident has not affected Galena Lodge or its guests and it remains in full operation.
鈥.
A heli-skiing operation is cleaning up after a fuel leak at one of its back-country lodges north of Nakusp.
The spill at the CMH Galena Lodge occurred just over a week ago, says a ministry official. The lodge is located in the Badshot range of the Selkirk Mountains, about 80 kilometres by highway north of Nakusp.
It鈥檚 not known what the leaked fuel was, or how much fuel spilled.
鈥淓nvironmental remediation and assessment experts were brought in immediately on discovery to contain the release, evaluate the impact and lead remediation efforts,鈥 says a news release from CMH, a mountain skiing tourism company based in Alberta. 鈥淭heir efforts are ongoing and will continue until all related impacts are addressed.鈥
CMH says an environmental response officer from the BC Ministry of Environment has advised them that 鈥渉e is extremely satisfied with the approach and progress to date鈥.
鈥淭he fuel distribution system has been contained and the outside experts have advised that there are no indications of any downstream impacts in Lardeau Creek or Trout Lake,鈥 CMH says. 鈥淓nvironmental monitoring of the conditions is proceeding on a daily basis.鈥
As of publication time the ministry had not responded to a request for information on the spill.
Wes Heck, who鈥檚 lived on Lardeau Creek for the last four years, isn鈥檛 impressed with the lack of communication.
鈥淚t would be nice to know what鈥檚 going on,鈥 he says. 鈥淣o one really knows around here.
Heck鈥檚 house is about 10 kilometres downstream from the lodge, on Lardeau Creek.
鈥淗ow close was the spill to the water? What are they doing to clean it up?鈥 he asks. 鈥淚鈥檝e spilled diesel when I grew up in Alberta, and you don鈥檛 know where it could be going under the snow.鈥
But another Trout Lake resident contacted by Arrow Lakes News says he鈥檚 satisfied how the cleanup is proceeding.
鈥淥ur family鈥檚 been here 30 years, and they鈥檝e always been good neighbours,鈥 says Don Coller, who owns the general store in Trout Lake. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e never been anything but helpful and cooperative.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate, but stuff happens.鈥
CMH says the incident has not affected Galena Lodge or our guests and we remain in full operation.