A British Columbia cold storage and fishing boat operator suspected of operating an illegal drug lab has instead pleaded guilty of pollution for illegal dumping of ammonia into the Fraser River..Richmond-based Arctic Pearl Ice and Cold Storage Ltd. — a seafood retailer which operates a fishing trawler — was ordered to pay a fine of $700,000 after pleading guilty to a single charge under the Fisheries Act for improper disposal of ammonium coolant into the city’s storm drain system..Under the plea deal it will also pay a fine of $55,000 after pleading guilty to two charges under the federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and $8,477.43 in restitution to the Richmond Fire Department for the clean up..Prosecutors had been asking for more than $2.9 million in fines for what it said was a potentially “life threatening” incident..Charges were laid in November of 2017 after a garbage collection employee fell ill from a “strong smell” of ammonia emanating from the back of the company’s warehouse. Thinking it was a possible drug lab, he called local authorities who raided the premises..It turned out to be a leaking storage tank holding contaminated ammonium removed from the trawler’s refrigeration system. The contaminated water was found to be overflowing into a storm drain which flows into Bath Slough and discharges into the fish-bearing Fraser River. .A subsequent investigation by Environment and Climate Change (ECC) Canada and Transport Canada determined that the coolant was deliberately discharged by an employee who was not authorized or certified to do so..The report further concluded the contaminated ammonia storage tank was not built to required specifications for the transport of dangerous goods and did not have any shipping documents or safety marks as required under Dangerous Goods regulations..The driver did not have a Transportation of Dangerous Goods Training Certificate and none of individuals involved had the required training in the handling, transportation and storage of ammonia..In a news release, ECC said court heard the company had previously received a quote of about $19,000 to dispose of the contaminated refrigerant but declined it. Instead it was removed from the boat under the direction of one of the company’s owners and illegally transported to the company’s onshore warehouse..Employees then set up a so-called ‘sparging’ operation “under the darkness of night” to dilute the ammonia in water through a fish tote. But it soon overwhelmed the limited capacity of the tank after the spigot from the tank froze over — due to the ammonia itself — and undiluted chemical overflowed into the storm sewer. .Both gaseous ammonia and ammonia dissolved in water are listed as toxic substances under Canada’s Environmental Protection Act. It is a very strong base, and only a little is enough to drastically increase the pH of water making it extremely toxic to aquatic life..Ammonia may be fatal to humans if inhaled, absorbed through the skin, or swallowed. It causes severe skin and eye burns and may cause glaucoma, cataracts, and permanent blindness..Experts estimate that approximately 1,227 lbs. of ammonia were released into the environment, approximately 929 lbs. of which was released into the storm sewer and the remainder vaporizing into the air..As a result of this conviction, the name of the company will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry. The Registry contains information on convictions of corporations registered for offences committed under certain federal environmental laws..The fed said $700,000 of the fine will be directed to the government's Environmental Damages Fund and will be used to support projects that have a “positive impact on Canada's natural environment.”.Arctic Pearl’s website describes itself as a “trusted provider of Pacific Northwest and Alaskan seafood for over 100 years.” .Google Reviews ranks it 4.6 stars for a selection of sustainably fished products including ikura (fish eggs), salmon, sea cucumber and ling cod..In December 2020, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency temporarily suspended its safe food licence for failing to comply with recall processes, traceability and labelling. There was no food recall associated with the suspension.
