A fruit packing company in the Central Okanagan has been issued a fine of €78,368 for illegally discharging effluent into a ditch. The fine, issued by the Ministry of Environment, has been met with criticism from local resident Alexandra Wright, who believes it to be insufficient. She has described the fine as a “slap on the wrist” and has expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the discharge. This is not the first time that Sandher Fruit Packers has faced penalties for wastewater discharge violations, having been fined €32,000 in 2022. In a statement, the Ministry of Environment called the contravention “major” and noted that the company had been warned and fined previously for past contraventions, starting in 2017. The ministry also stated that the fine “must act as a specific deterrent to the contravention that has already occurred.” Wright, along with other residents, is concerned about the environmental impact of the discharge, which flows into Mill Creek and Simpsons Pond before reaching Okanagan Lake. She has expressed concerns about the potential contamination of fish and the lack of warning from government agencies. The company has published two “community updates” on its website, acknowledging that they have “not always gotten it right” and stating that they are working on a permanent solution. They have also applied for an application for effluent discharge, but a petition against that has gathered more than 1,600 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. The petition was presented in the provincial legislature by Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick. More information about the fine and the petition is available online.
Fruit Packing Company Fined for Illegal Effluent Discharge, Residents Demand Stiffer Penalties
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