Private prosecution against Mount Polley mine tailings spill stayed

VICTORIA — Private charges filed by a woman relating to the 2014 collapse of the tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine in British Columbia have been stayed.

British Columbia’s public prosecution service says it has carefully reviewed the information and materials provided by counsel for Bev Sellers and found the evidence failed to meet standards to approve charges.

Sellers filed court documents last August alleging that Mount Polley Mining Corp. polluted the environment when a tailings dam burst, sending 24 million cubic metres of mine waste into waterways in B.C.’s Cariboo region.

Imperial Metals Corp., the parent company of Mount Polley Mining, did not immediately provide reaction to the decision or the allegations when reached for comment.