Planned upgrade to Pattullo Bridge scrapped

» New Westminster mayor hopes for new bridge instead

Mercedes Deutscher
News Editor
S news@theotherpress.ca

lans for the Pattullo Bridge

are being reconsidered after
TransLink scraped their plans
for a $100 million project that
would upgrade the Pattullo
Bridge to better handle seismic
activity. The plan was scheduled
to begin in April 2016.

“There was a pretty
significant rehabilitation that
was scheduled for next year
that was going to be 18 months
long, involve complete closures,
have one lane in each direction
for great periods of time. That
plan has been revisited,” Mayor
Jonathan Cote said to the New
Westminster Record. “I think
that is a real positive for New
Westminster.”

The 78-year-old bridge
is currently not equipped
to withstand a moderate
earthquake or a ship collision.
River erosion may also pose
problems to the structure of the
bridge.

Instead of the upgrade,
TransLink has now opted to

: perform only the minimal

: amount of repairs by spending

: $25 million to maintain the

: bridge over five months, hoping
: to put the other $75 million of

: the original budget towards

: building a new bridge.

The provincial government

: is in disagreement with

: TransLink’s decision regarding
: scrapping the bridge repairs,

: with Premier Christy Clark

: telling CBC, “The long-term

: plan is to get it fixed. I know it’s
: complicated and it’s expensive,
: but it needs to be done.”

: Plans for a new bridge,

: which would have been

 
 

Photo via focusnewwest.wordpress.com

: completed within the decade,

: were released during the transit
: plebiscite campaigns earlier this
: year. The replacement bridge

: would remain at a wider four

: lanes, with the possibility of

: being expanded to six lanes.

: It would also have better

: accessibility for pedestrians and

: cyclists. However, the failure of
: the Mayors’ Council’s plan as a
: result of the “No” result of the

: plebiscite resulted in delays to

: the replacement bridge plan.

Presumably, the plan for the

> new bridge will remain similar.

: There is no current timeline

: for when the bridge, which is

: expected to reach costs of $1

: billion, will be completed. One-
: third of the costs of replacing

: the bridge will be covered by the

> province.

“TransLink indicated that

: within two years’ time that they
: will have a final decision and a

: final plan, but New Westminster
: is actually going to try and

: advocate for speeding that up.

: Given that we already have the

: funding sources identified, we

: already have an agreement in

: terms of the size of the bridge

: from the Mayors’ Council, we

: actually think that within

: one year, if we put our minds

: to it, TransLink, Surrey, New

: Westminster, and the provincial
: government should be able to

: resolve this one and get this

: project moving forward,” Cote

: further explained to the New

: Westminster Record.

 

Toronto-based gold mining company leaks
cyanide solution into Argentina river

» Water ruled safe for consumption

Lauren Kelly
Assistant Editor
Massistant@theotherpress.ca

OO. one million litres of
cyanide solution leaked
into the Potrerillos River in
Argentina on September 13 from
the Veladero mine. The mine
is owned by Toronto-based
company Barrick Gold, the
largest gold mining company
in the world. Located in the
San Juan province, the mine is
approximately 150 kilometres
from the next community along
the Potrerillos River.

Originally reported by the
company to be a much smaller
spill, recent statements put the
total amount at 1.072 million
litres. However, the majority of
cyanide solution is fresh water,
with cyanide only making up a
small amount.

After a sliding gate and
valve malfunctioned on
September 12, the cyanide was
able to move through the safety
measure and enter the river.
Luckily, the company had leak
emergency protocol in place
and alerted environmental
authorities. Multiple water
testing groups, including one

: sent by the UN, declared the
: water in the river safe for
: consumption.

Barrick Gold is the largest

: gold mining company in the :
: world. It was founded in Toronto :
: in 1983, and has a mine in
: Hemlo, Ontario.

Cyanide has been used in

: the mining industry for over

: 120 years, as it helps to separate
: gold and silver from ore. In :
: more recent years, the Industrial :
: Cyanide Management Code has :
: been enforced to ensure safety

: for those living near gold mines.

This code came after the

: Baia Mare cyanide spill in 2000.
: Called the worst environmental
: disaster in Europe since

: Chernobyl, cyanide was spilled
: into the Somes River, near the

: city of Baia Mare. The river

: carried high levels of cyanide

: into Hungary and Yugoslavia,

: killing over 650 tons of marine

: life and heavily damaging the :
: environment. However, this spill :
: had nearly 100 times the amount :
: of solution leak.

As of September 28,

: a judge has ruled that the

: mine can resume operations
: after it completes upgrades

: to the facilities to enhance

: safety and prevent future

: leaks. Additionally, a special

: committee will be checking

: water contamination levels

: along the river for 30 days.

: Although the mine has now
: begun operating again, local

: environmental groups are not

 

: happy with the court’s response
: to the problem.

“We need to see the results,

: local Greenpeace activist

: Gonzalo Strano told CTV in

: regard to environmental tests.
: Greenpeace Argentina believes
: the province of San Juan is

Photo via momentumpr.com

: conspiring with Barrick Gold

: to hide the severity of the leak.
” t Additionally, Parlamento Por el
: Agua is unhappy with the fact
: that the government did not
: alert local communities for 48

: hours following the spill.