A LOOK AT THE CONTAMINATION AND CLEANUP OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GIANT MINE

www.CBC.ca

The Giant Mine in the Northwest Territories, near Yellowknife, Canada, estimated to be the biggest environmental clean-up in Canadian history. The mine operated from 1948 to 2005 and produced 220 tons of gold. It covers 900 hectares just outside Yellowknife along the shores of Great Slave Lake. There are about 100 buildings, 25 large piles of junk and rusting machinery, 30 kilometers of road, eight open mine pits, six tailings’ ponds, and 13 underground chambers still exist on the site.

13.5 million tons of arsenic-contaminated soil is on the surface; 237,000 tons of arsenic trioxide is in underground chambers; and an unknown amount of asbestos is in buildings on the site. The plan is to freeze underground arsenic in perpetuity, pump and treat seepage from mine in perpetuity, and attempt to destroy the hazardous waste. The aim is to remediate parts of the site to residential standards and others to industrial standards. The goal is to be completed by 2031.

SEA IN DANGER, CONTAMINATED BY HUMAN AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE

www.FirstPost.com

The Republic of Tunisia's 1,300-kilometer coastline is being threatened by pollution. The Ministry of Health publishes a list every year of beaches where swimming is prohibited due to water analyses indicating the significant levels of fecal matter in the sea. The Tunisia government’s laissez-faire policies offer no solution for industrial facilities to limit the pollutants they release into the environment. Residents continuously complain about the odor coming from the ocean and the visible streams of brownish water running from factories straight into the ocean.

SILVER STRAND SHORELINE CLOSED DUE TO SEWAGE CONTAMINATION

www.SanDiegounionTribune.com

San Diego County Health Officials closed the Silver Strand Shoreline on September 24th due to sewage contamination in the water. The beach has been closed to swimmers, surfers, and other users after flows from the Tijuana River and northerly ocean currents swept untreated wastewater into the area. The beach will remain closed until samplings from the ocean conclude that the water is no longer dangerous to contact. Silver Strand Shoreline, Tijuana Slough, and Imperial Beach Shoreline have been closed due to the sewage contamination. Tidelands Park in Coronado, Shelter Island, La Jolla Cove, Campland in Mission Bay, and Children’s Pool in La Jolla are under an ongoing water quality advisory.

KING COUNTY MOVES TOWARD $5 MILLION SETTLEMENT WITH SUQUAMISH TRIBE OVER SEWAGE OVERFLOWS

www.SeattleTimes.com

King County, Washington, is prepared to pay over $5 million to settle a threatened lawsuit from the Suquamish Tribe. The threatened lawsuit regarded the millions of gallons of sewage spills that have overflowed from county treatment plants into Puget Sound, Washington. The settlement also sets timelines for an estimated $600 million in improvements over the next decade to the county's West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle, Washington's Discovery Park. The settlement includes a $40,000 penalty for missed deadlines and $10,000 for each additional month of delay. Half of the proposed $5 million settlement would go into a mitigation fund, controlled by the tribe. The other half would go toward a new environmental project of the county’s choosing and must be completed within five years.

WELLS FARGO TO PAY $94M TO SETTLE MORTGAGE FORBEARANCE SUIT

FairShake.com

A class-action lawsuit filed against Wells Fargo argued that they sent more than 200,000 mortgage borrowers into forbearance during the pandemic unlawfully and without their consent. Wells Fargo agreed to pay $94 Million in order to settle the lawsuit. This decision by Wells Fargo damaged borrowers’ credit scores, making it more difficult for them to refinance their mortgages when rates were at their lowest levels in history and violated the CARES Act. Wells Fargo has denied any wrongdoing and said its underwriting practices are consistently applied regardless of the customer.

FOUR COMPANIES IN $437K SETTLEMENT OVER RYE BROOK MERCURY CONTAMINATION CASE

WestFairOnline.com

American Iron & Metal Co., Culp Industries, Paramount Global, and Public Service Company of New Hampshire have agreed to a $437,255 settlement with the federal government for their role in contaminating the Village of Rye Brook, New York, with thousands of pounds of mercury. The contamination occurred at Port Refinery; a mercury refining business bordered by private residences. A ruling by the EPA has determined that Port Refinery took close to no environmental precautions or safety measures during its mercury refinement process between the 1970s and 1990s. The contamination resulted in two separate EPA remediation projects involving more than 9,300 tons of contaminated soil.

CONTAMINATION AT TIWAI POINT SMELTER SITE, REPORT FINDS

www.NewsTalkzb.co.nz

New Zealand Aluminum Smelters (NZAS) has commissioned a report and discovered "numerous legacy and ongoing sources of contamination to the environment" at its Tiwai site. EHS Support, a consultancy with international experience in decommissioning smelters, concluded that chemicals have been discharged into the environment including groundwater, soil, and coastal marine areas. Fluoride was recorded at 8-16% concentration within surface soil in some areas. NZAS has estimated it'll cost around $700 million to clean up the site when the smelter enters the remediation phase.

MOSQUITO FIRE: HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOUR HOME WAS DAMAGED IN THE WILDFIRE

www.SFGate.com

California Fire's Damage Inspection Specialist Team has started assessments in the Volcanoville, Georgetown, and Quintette areas following the Mosquito Fire. They will be providing a new map that shows the conditions of homes in the area. These assessments will be ongoing as the fire continues to burn. Officials are recommending homeowners periodically check the map because the map will continue to be updated as information becomes available. More than 5,800 structures in Placer and El Dorado counties were under threat along with 11,000 residents of local communities.