Sediment has been released into the Athabasca River from a decommissioned mine near Hinton, and the Town of Athabasca is taking precautionary measures, although Athabasca was not on the list of communities notified.
Whitecourt, Hinton, Yellowhead County, Woodland County and the Municipal District of Greenview were made aware of the incident.
“The sediment was released from an onsite water storage pond,” the Alberta Government said in a press release. “The pond contains high levels of suspended solids, which include such things as clay and organic matter.”
The government is monitoring the river for the sediment that was released.
“Municipal drinking water systems are designed to filter materials out of water,” the government stated. “Government staff continue to monitor the release and are conducting water quality sampling in the river. These results will be shared with Alberta Health Services and other agencies; results will also be made public as soon as possible.”
Future work will also determine what, if any environmental impacts have occurred.
“In response, the Aspen Regional Water Services Commission (ARWSC) took the precautionary measure of closing the intake from the Athabasca River until the matter is expected to pass the area,” the Town of Athabasca said in a press release. “The water commission has a storage cell on site with capacity up to 30 days, therefore allowing no change in water quality or safety provided to consumers in the region.”
The ARWSC, Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County are monitoring the situation.
“They will provide further updates should there be any change in status, or as new information becomes available,” the release stated.
