BC's Minister of Environment has had enough when it comes to the Cobble Hill Holdings Ltd. facility near Shawnigan Lake.
Mary Polak says based on information and advice from staff, who she nptes are technical experts in their field, she is cancelling Cobble Hill's waste discharge permit effective immediately. Polak says the company failed to meet the requirements laid out in her Jan. 27th letter to them.
In that letter she gave them 15 business days to provide three required documents, but they submitted only two prior by the deadline. The missing document was an adjusted financial secuirty in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit.
Polak says Cobble Hill Holdings has had multiple opportunities to respond to outstanding non-compliance issues, and repeatedly missed deadlines with respect to its permit requirements.
She adds Ministry staff are ensuring material on the property is managed in a way that does not present a risk to human health or the environment.
Meantime Cowichan Valley NDP MLA Bill Routley says while he's pleased to hear the permit was finally pulled, he maintains there was enough evidence and concern months ago to do that.
He also maintains the disposal site should never have been allowed to proceed at the site above Shawnigan Lake, where the water supply is put at risk.