Valleyfield Company Charged – Part of Fine is Reinvested in Environmental Benefit for the Region

VALLEYFIELD (Québec), le 19 novembre 2004– Yesterday, Valleytank Inc. and Mr. Michael S. Anwar, General Manager of the company, appeared before a Justice of the Provincial Court in Valleyfield and pleaded guilty to charges under subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act which prohibits the deposit of a deleterious substance of any type in water frequented by fish.

On February 20, 2002, Valleytank Inc. and Mr. Anwar illegally deposited a substance containing ethylene glycol into the Canal de Beauharnois, thereby contravening subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.

The Court ordered the company and Mr. Anwar to pay $450,000 of which $300,000 will be granted to the federal government’s Environmental Damages Fund and $150,000 as a fine. One of the purposes of this fund, administered by Environment Canada, is the restoration of contaminated sites. The beneficiaries of the fund are usually organizations located in the region where the offence was committed.

This incident was investigated by enforcement officials of Environment Canada with assistance from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

For more information contact:

To receive automatic e-mail notification of all Environment Canada news releases, media advisories, and statements, please click on this URL to subscribe: http://www.ec.gc.ca/mediaroom/newsrelease/e/subscribe_e.cfm