A BC Government spokesperson says steps are being taken to make sure muddy run-off from the McKenzie Interchange project stays out of the Colquitz River.
"Jacob Brothers, our contractor on the project, is very experienced contractor and one with a very good reputation," says Janelle Erwin, deputy regional director of highways with the BC Ministry of Transportation. "They're working to make sure appropriate measures are in place when it comes to the environment."
Erwin told C-FAX 1070's Al Ferraby they're aware of concerns and are satisfied with how their contractor is handling the situation. "We're adding additional measures to make sure that it's a very robust system. We know on Vancouver Island we expect rain so we want to make sure we have the measures in place to handle additional water that's hitting our site."
Erwin says there are black fences sunk into the ground to contain water on the site and additional fences have been added. There are large green tanks that process the water, removing sediment before it leaves the site and they plan to add more. Hay bales also act as filters.
Several residents and local MLA Rob Fleming have raised concerns over the last few days after sediment was photographed getting through containment fences and into the salmon-bearing river. Fleming called on the government to do more to protect the Colquitz.