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Port Coquitlam investigating toxic storm drain dump

Port Coquitlam’s bylaws staff are investigating after a Port Coquitlam resident was spotted Sunday pouring an industrial-grade bleach down a storm drain in his driveway.
PoCo city hall

Port Coquitlam’s bylaws staff are investigating after a Port Coquitlam resident was spotted Sunday pouring an industrial-grade bleach down a storm drain in his driveway.

Neighbours who witnessed the incident called the city and the fire department to the Chelsea Street home near Hyde Creek.

One woman, who asked not to be named, said the smell was so strong that she had difficulty breathing. She said the fumes coming out of the storm drain lingered across half the block for much of the day Sunday.

She said the resident had two five-gallon pails of Advance 12A in the back of his pick-up truck but it appears only one pail was dumped down the storm drain.

Advance 12A is used as a sanitizer and in textile bleaching and commercial laundry applications. A material safety sheet lists its hazards as a nose and throat irritant that can cause coughing, difficulty breathing and severe irritation, with blistering if it comes into contact with skin. Spill response measures caution responders to wear appropriate protective equipment and to prevent the material from entering sewers and waterways.

PoCo Coun. Laura Dupont also witnessed the incident and said it’s important that people who pollute waterways be held accountable.

“I have heard of a significant number of intentional dumps of paints and chemicals into our storm drain system,” said Dupont in an email to The Tri-City News. “Despite the good work done by streamkeepers to paint bright yellow salmon next to our communities’ storm drains, people still either don’t understand where they lead or they just don’t care.”

Dupont said PoCo is lucky to have a viable salmon-bearing creek and “it should be our highest priority to protect that resource.”

Once Hyde Creek Hatchery members were notified of the incident, they shut down the creek water supply to the hatchery and switched to well water while they conduct water quality tests.

“Unfortunately, pollution incidents still happen in our creeks, although we believe them to be less frequent than early 2000,” said Shane Peachman, the hatchery’s president.

Paula Jones, PoCo’s manager of bylaw services, confirmed bylaws staff are investigating a complaint about a resident who dumped industrial cleaner down the storm drain.

The bylaw includes a $200 fine for polluting a watercourse, whether or not it is located on private property.

Jones said staff tested the storm drain Monday for traces of contaminants but it had cleared by that time. A bylaw officer will be following up with the resident and may issue a ticket.

spayne@tricitynews.com
@spayneTC