Rio Tinto Fer et Titane Inc. a subsidiary of Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO) (ASX: RIO) (LON: RIO) has been sentenced by the Court of Quebec after pleading guilty to two spills of harmful substances into the St. Lawrence River.
On Friday, the Environment and Climate Change Canada announced the sentencing by the Court of Quebec, at the Sorel-Tracy courthouse. Rio Tinto will have to pay two fines totaling $600,000 for spills in June and December 2020 that violated the Canadian Fisheries Act.
The fines will be paid in full to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund and will support projects that have a positive impact on the country’s natural environment.
The first spill happened in June 2020 at the Sorel-Tracy, Quebec complex. Around 1,314 liters of sodium hydroxide was inadvertently released into the complex’s sewer system, eventually finding its way to the final discharge point, which leads directly into the St. Lawrence River.
Rio Tinto Fer et Titane informed Environment and Climate Change Canada on the same day, notifying them that the pH level at the final discharge point had risen above 9.5, posing a serious threat to the aquatic life, particularly fish.
Following this, a second incident occurred around Dec. 26, 2020, when a ruptured pipe containing spent acid resulted in the discharge of approximately 7,000 litres of hydrochloric acid into the storm drainage system within the complex. This toxic acid was subsequently emptied into the St. Lawrence River, further exacerbating the environmental impact.
Read more: Mining Association of Canada elects Rio Tinto manager as new chair
Read more: Canada partners with Rio Tinto to accelerate production of low-carbon aluminum
Mining Association of Canada (MAC) announced this month it elected Carolyn Chisholm, General Manager of External Affairs for the Canadian branch of Rio Tinto.
The government also inked an agreement with the company to help accelerate Canada’s production of low-carbon aluminum. As part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) announced on Monday, Rio Tinto will be investing $1.4 billion to expand its aluminum smelter at the Complexe Jonquière in Saguenay, Quebec.
