Latest news with #KellyMills
National Observer
03-07-2025
- Health
- National Observer
Ucluelet Harbour Seafood fined $25,000 for polluting Barkley Sound
A seafood processing company in Ucluelet, BC, has been slapped with $25,000 in fines for repeatedly pumping harmful contaminants like ammonia, oil, grease and other fish offal well above permitted levels into the ocean over a two-year period. The violations by Ucluelet Harbour Seafood (UHS) — owned by the large, US-based Pacific Seafood Group — are a 'major contravention' with a mix of pollutants significantly above discharge limits in 33 instances between May 2023 and August 2024, said the BC Ministry of Environment decision. In 28 of those instances, UHS's wastewater pollutants exceeded allowed limits by more than 50 per cent, Kelly Mills, compliance section head, noted in the decision. The top-end wastewater sample for toxic ammonia exceeded the allowable limit by 4,600 per cent. The highest sample test for fish offal and remains in wastewater exceeded the limit by 3,000 per cent. The highest fish oil and grease water sample reached a staggering 17,150 per cent above permitted amounts. Ammonia can be toxic and harm aquatic life, especially invertebrates like shrimp, crabs, shellfish and zooplankton. Oil and grease can cause respiratory harm to marine mammals, like whales or sea lions and fish, as a result of damaged gills. High levels of fish waste solids can smother eggs and seabed animals, and deplete oxygen in the water, the decision said. The wastewater from the seafood processing plant is discharged in Barkley Sound — potential habitat for numerous at-risk species, including endangered killer whales, basking sharks, leatherback sea turtles and northern abalone, Mills said. Other animals of concern include humpback and grey whales, Stellar sea lions, yellowed and rougheye rockfish, and bluntnose, tope, or six gill sharks. Mills found the violations posed a 'moderate' potential threat to the environment, while UHS argued to the ministry prior to the final decision that the discharges posed little or no threat to the marine environment. A BC processing plant hit with a $25,000 penalty belongs to US parent company Pacific Seafood that has a string of wastewater violations along the West Coast. However, the violations themselves were categorized as a serious compliance issue because they could result in 'an actual significant impact or very serious threat to the environment or to human health,' Mills said. The company was also penalized for a lesser violation of failing to monitor the daily volume of wastewater it was releasing for three stretches involving 134 days between March and October 2023. In a statement attributed to Amy Wentworth, Pacific Seafood's senior director of environmental health, the company said it has made infrastructure improvements and procedure changes to fix the problems. 'We have made significant improvements at our UHS facility to strengthen environmental performance, including better dock procedures to reduce lost product, new water systems that speed up solids removal, and upgraded wastewater treatment that prevents overflows and improves efficiency,' Wentworth wrote. 'These upgrades have already reduced our levels, especially of the most concentrated organics, and will help prevent future exceedances. While we do not agree with all aspects of the penalties issued, and are in the process of appealing the fine, we remain committed to ongoing improvements. We've engaged outside engineering experts to support our continued efforts to lower our organics levels from fish processing.' Tide of wastewater violations The contraventions by UHS mirror a similar series of discharge violations and penalties incurred by its parent company, the Pacific Seafood Group at its US operations in Washington, Oregon and California for exceeding contaminant levels, releasing untreated effluents and waste, such as gloves, labels and shell fragments, into waterways. The family-owned company is based in Oregon and runs 40 facilities across the US, Canada and Chile. Pacific Seafood has been cited for repeated violations in the US. The company is currently facing the threat of combined fines totalling US $250,800 after the company's Westport plant repeatedly flushed polluted wastewater into Half Moon Bay in Washington, and its Brookings Harbour facility in Oregon contravened wastewater quality and monitoring requirements. Pacific Seafoods is appealing the proposed Westport site fine of $222,000 at a hearing set for mid-July. The latest contraventions follow significant violations and penalties issued at the Westport site in 2022 and 2020. Washington authorities have expressed frustration with Pacific Seafoods' repeated violations. 'It's unacceptable that this facility is continuing to pollute Half Moon Bay after repeated citations and technical assistance,' said Vince McGowan, water quality program manager for the State of Washington Department of Ecology, in a press release last June. 'The majority of similar companies in the industry are able to meet permit requirements. The bottom line is that we need this facility to comply with their permit and stop polluting Half Moon Bay. This includes making any needed upgrades to their wastewater treatment system to fix the problem.'
Hamilton Spectator
17-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Province fines Coquitlam-based KMS Tools $28,300 for repeated recycling law violations
Coquitlam's KMS Tools has been fined $28,300 for failing to comply with the province's recycling regulations – marking the second penalty against the company in two years. In a May 8 determination, the B.C. Ministry of Environment fined KMS Tools for continuing to distribute packaging and paper products without an approved extended producer responsibility (EPR) program in place. The violation spanned from November 2022 to May 2024, despite repeated warnings and a previous fine issued in 2023 for similar non-compliance. 'This type of contravention undermines the basic integrity of the overarching regulatory regime and significantly interferes with the Ministry's capacity to regulate,' said Kelly Mills, a director under the Environmental Management Act, in the decision document. Under the Recycling Regulation, producers — including manufacturers, distributors, and retailers — must either develop an EPR plan for how their packaging and printed paper (PPP) will be collected and recycled, or register with an approved stewardship agency that handles these obligations on their behalf. Recycle BC is currently the only agency in B.C. with an approved PPP plan. The ministry found KMS Tools did neither, and was ineligible for exemptions typically granted to smaller producers. According to the decision, the company had more than $1 million in annual revenue in B.C., produced more than one tonne of packaging waste, and operated multiple retail locations – all disqualifying it from small producer status. The company operates nine retail locations across B.C., including its flagship store in Port Coquitlam, and five others in Alberta. It also runs an online store, a distribution centre, and an auto parts business under the 'KMS C.A.R. Parts' banner. KMS Tools' $28,300 fine reflects a $10,000 base penalty, plus aggravating factors that include repeat violations, deliberate non-compliance, and an estimated $8,800 in avoided recycling fees. Ministry officials noted that KMS Tools 'made no effort' to work with Recycle BC or to comply through alternative means, despite being given detailed instructions as early as 2021. KMS Tools argued that compliance was 'impossible' and said the ministry had failed to provide clear guidance relevant to its business model. A representative also claimed the company was being unfairly targeted, stating that most of its competitors were not penalized and that the regulation was inconsistently enforced. However, those same arguments were rejected in a previous Environmental Appeal Board (EAB) ruling last year, which upheld a $19,000 fine issued to KMS Tools for non-compliance in 2023. In its decision, the EAB found that KMS Tools presented no persuasive evidence that compliance was impossible and noted the company had received 'repeated' instructions on how to fulfill its obligations, including contact information for Recycle BC and the option of submitting its own EPR plan. Instead, the company pursued a campaign to challenge the regulation, claiming it was being unfairly targeted and that the law was too vague for businesses like theirs to follow. 'There was no evidence to show that [KMS Tools] was officially or unofficially exempted from the regulation at any time,' the EAB stated. 'Short of continuing to make assertions concerning why it should be exempted and why it was difficult to comply, [KMS Tools] did not, in fact, make any attempt to work with Recycle BC.' The ministry said that KMS Tools' insistence that it could not comply – despite being given contact information, program options, and regulatory pathways – amounted to 'willful blindness.' Officials also noted the company did not dispute its prior offence, failed to show evidence of due diligence, and made no effort to mitigate the violation or prevent recurrence. KMS Tools, on the other hand, claimed that it had suffered financial harm rather than benefit, citing negative publicity, legal costs, and lost customer goodwill after being portrayed as a business that 'doesn't recycle.' The ministry rejected this claim, finding that the company knowingly avoided at least $8,800 in program fees and chose to ignore clear options for compliance. KMS Tools has 30 days from the date of the determination to pay the penalty or file a new appeal with the Environmental Appeal Board. If it fails to pay, the government may take additional action, including interest charges, revocation of business authorizations, or legal recovery of the debt. KMS Tools owner Stan Pridham said the company will file another appeal and continue to fight what he described as a deeply flawed and unfair regulation. 'We will continue to fight this nonsensical and unfair regulation like we have for the last 12 years' he said/ Pridham argued the ERP rules were never designed for businesses like his, and designed for the food industry and big national retailers He also said the company has 'made many attempts to find out how we could comply,' but has received no clear guidance from the ministry, Recycle BC, or their Ontario-based parent organization. 'They repeatedly tell us how we could 'apply' but never how we could 'comply,'' Pridham said. 'If compliance was possible, surely they would be able to tell us how to comply or give us an example of how a business like ours is complying.' Pridham also claimed that none of KMS Tools' direct competitors are on the steward list and have not been penalized, calling the enforcement 'inconsistent' and 'harassment.' He disputed the ministry's claim that the company had received repeated instructions, claiming that ,ministry staff have ignored requests emails. 'We do all the normal recycling and prevent old tools from going to landfill with our 'Tools For The World' program,' Pridham said, adding the company has suffered reputational harm due to media coverage. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
BBC News
21-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Award for Bristol coach, 13, who shows disability is no barrier
A 13-year-old boy has been made Premier League Community Champion for his efforts to connect children with helps the Bristol Rovers' Premier League Kicks training sessions for other young people three times a week in Lockleaze, mum Kelly Mills said he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and football helps him concentrate at school the next said: "I feel happy helping out the community, teaching kids how to play football." Cameron has also written to the Bristol Rovers first team asking them to donate boots to children he trains who may otherwise not be able to afford specifically helps children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at the training sessions. "I'm a SEND kid myself, and I'm happy to show them that anyone can play football even if they have a disability," Cameron Mills said: "[I'm] really, really proud of him. "He's been up here for so many years helping out, he really deserves this. It's well earned."He's more confident, he has a path that he wants to go down after school. "Up here he's supported, he feels safe. Up here he can be Cameron, he can be SEND."Will Dixon, head of inclusion at Bristol Rovers Community Trust, said Cameron's commitment is "second to none". "He's always here, always on time. Helps set up, helps packs away. We're really fortunate he attends each of our sessions each week."The Premier League puts on its Kicks programme to use football to help young people in disadvantaged was awarded the accolade by Bristol Rovers first team players Promise Omochere and Kamil Conteh on 11 February.
