VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Vancouver-based mining company CaNickel, which owns the Bucko Lake nickel mine that is currently on care and maintenance, near Wabowden, Manitoba, has pleaded guilty to two charges of environmental misconduct and has been fined C$80 000.
According to a news release by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Wednesday, TSX-V-listed CaNickel on October 31 pled guilty in the Provincial Court of Manitoba to having committed two offences under the Fisheries Act in violation of the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations.
An investigation by ECCC led to charges that, in April and May of 2014, CaNickel deposited effluent, which contained radium-226 and nickel in excess of authorised limits, from the Bucko Lake mine, into Bucko Lake.
The fine will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund.
CaNickel in July 2012 mothballed the mine on the back of slumping nickel prices and has ever since been focused on carrying out minimal exploration work and running the care-and-maintenance programme at Bucko Lake to safeguard assets.