Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 17/02) - Federal investigators say charges against the Village of Fort Simpson will likely not be laid, providing they keep closer tabs of the town's sewage treatment plant in the future.

Raw sewage from the plant continued to flow into the Mackenzie River for approximately five weeks after all three pumps failed -- the last on March 27.

South Mackenzie district manager for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Ed Hornby, said samples taken from the plant indicated that the village did not breach discharge limits set by their water licence after the pumps failed. However, said Hornby, DIAND is still deciding what steps to take after the village failed to report the spill nearly a month after the pumps failed.

"I won't say that we would be able to pin down why they didn't report it, but certainly that they did not, and that they understand that they are required to," said Hornby.

While prosecution is still an option, Hornby said they would prefer to enter into an agreement with the village to review their plant operations and determine the true causes behind the failure of the pumps. "We would start with the village council and the people involved, and see if there is a communication failure or (lack) of understanding of their obligations, just exactly why they failed to report," said Hornby.

He said, from his understanding, the village has already engaged an environmental consulting firm to advise them of what steps to take to ensure plant operations run smoothly in the future.

"If they co-operate, we won't proceed with prosecutions," said Hornby.

DIAND will also step up inspections of the plant, said Hornby.

Senior administrative officer Bernice Swanson declined to comment when asked why it took so long to report the spill.

She did say, however, that under their water licence agreement they have 30 days to report a spill.