Question Period Note: Teck Resources’ Fisheries Act Charge

On March 24, 2021, Environment and Climate Change Canada laid two charges against Teck Coal Limited under the Fisheries Act related to discharges of selenium and calcite into the Elk and Fording Rivers in British Columbia in 2012.
On March 26, 2021, the B.C. Provincial Court accepted a guilty plea by Teck and a joint sentencing submission between the Crown and the company. As part of the resolution, Teck agreed to pay a penalty of $60 million. This is the largest fine levied to a company under the Act.

• Our government places the highest priority on health, safety, and environmental protection in all aspects of our natural resource industries.
• We acknowledge that Teck Resources has reached a resolution regarding two charges under the Fisheries Act and has agreed to pay a $60 million fine.
• Our government takes the enforcement of environmental laws very seriously. Companies must respect and operate within them.
• A healthy economy and healthy environment must go hand in hand. Our natural resource sectors are an important engine of economic growth, creating good, middle class jobs for Canadians.
Supplemental Messages
• Development must be done in a sustainable and responsible manner. When environmental laws and regulations are violated, companies will be held accountable.
• We are aware that the company is advancing efforts to address water issues in the Elk Valley through a commitment to work with the province of B.C., Indigenous groups and stakeholders.
• Canada’s minerals and metals industry is important to the economy and communities across the country.
o Our government will continue work to ensure that the industry remains a source of jobs, economic growth, and enabler of Canada’s clean energy transition while focused on environmental performance.

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