Chetwynd — Conuma Resources is facing fines of more than $45,000 for a string of violations contravening the province’s environmental protection rules.
The charges stem from violations at the company's Brule Mine site in Chetwynd from 2020 to 2023.
The BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change says the company ‘repeatedly’ and ‘knowingly’ failed to comply with regulations.
Conuma's mining operations weren't set up to limit dust emissions that led to worsening air quality in the area, according to the ministry.
The company has argued they shouldn't be held fully responsible for the violation due to surrounding wildfires that have impacted the region in the last several years.
Reports posted online by the ministry found Conuma also failed to monitor and update reporting data pertaining to waste water on more than 400 occasions.
The water was being poured into local waterways, leading to toxins affecting fish habitats, according to the ministry.
The company has 30 days to pay the fines totalling $45,850.
Conuma Resources, based out of Tumbler Ridge, operates three steelmaking coal sites across the Peace Region and employs approximately 900 people.