The president of the company involved in the Mount Polley environmental disaster that poured millions of cubic metres of mine tailings into B.C. waterways 10 years ago says the material spilled wasn91裸聊视频檛 toxic.

Imperial Metals Corp. and two other firms were charged last month with 15 alleged Fisheries Act breaches, accused of allowing a 91裸聊视频渄eleterious substance91裸聊视频� from the mine91裸聊视频檚 tailings pond into several bodies of water.

But Imperial Metals president Brian Kynoch says the mine tailings were 91裸聊视频渂enign,91裸聊视频� and the breach released traces of elements like copper and arsenic that are naturally occurring.

Kynoch says no waters were poisoned by the spill, and testing showed that drinking water guidelines were not exceeded and fish numbers bounced back in the years following the spill.

He says the company91裸聊视频檚 lawyers have advised him not to speak publicly about the charges that Imperial is facing under the Fisheries Act, and Imperial Metals previously said after being charged that it did not intend to make public statements.

The Fisheries Act indictment says the companies91裸聊视频� work 91裸聊视频渞esulted in serious harm to fish that are part of a commercial, recreational or Aboriginal fishery.91裸聊视频�

The catastrophic collapse of the tailings dam in the B.C. Interior sent about 17 million cubic metres of water and 8 milliong cubic metres of tailings from the copper and gold mine surging into waterways including Polley and Quesnel lakes on Aug. 4, 2014.

Some scientists say there have been years of environmental impact at the site.

Greg Pyle, an aquatic eco-toxicologist and professor emeritus at the University of Lethbridge, has published research showing tiny invertebrates that form the basis of the aquatic food chain displayed elevated metal accumulation at sites affected by the spill, and he has called it one of the 91裸聊视频渕ost contaminated sites in the country.91裸聊视频�

Kynoch said in an interview that the physical damage caused by the tailings pond failure isn91裸聊视频檛 in question, but he said water and fish testing data collected in the aftermath showed fears of toxicity didn91裸聊视频檛 come to pass.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e spent millions of dollars on testing and it91裸聊视频檚 kind of like it91裸聊视频檚 ignored,91裸聊视频� Kynoch said. 91裸聊视频淲e haven91裸聊视频檛 had a fish sample that didn91裸聊视频檛 pass the test for it being edible.91裸聊视频�

He said the company recognizes the cultural importance of fish to nearby First Nations, and 91裸聊视频渨orked diligently91裸聊视频� to keep them informed as they worked to remediate and reopen the mine.

He said mining companies around the world, and particularly in B.C., are aware of the importance of relationships with local First Nations and local residents and to keep them 91裸聊视频渕ore involved in the process.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淣o matter what we do, accidents can still happen,91裸聊视频� Kynoch said. 91裸聊视频淎 lot of effort was put into tailings. 91裸聊视频� Anything we engineer, anything we design, no matter how much you do it, there91裸聊视频檚 still risk and so we need to do all we can to mitigate the risk.91裸聊视频�

Since the dam failure, Kynoch said the company successfully did a trial of 91裸聊视频渄ry stacking91裸聊视频� tailings at the mine, which means they91裸聊视频檙e not subject to flowing away like those stored in liquid.

He said the dry stacking method is an 91裸聊视频渆volution91裸聊视频� of tailings storage.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檒l be more solid, I think, and lots of mines in the world are headed that way,91裸聊视频� he said.

While he91裸聊视频檚 constrained from speaking on the charges for alleged fisheries violations, Kynoch said the company didn91裸聊视频檛 91裸聊视频渞un away91裸聊视频� after the tailings pond failure.

91裸聊视频淲e stayed. We fixed the creek. We spent our money,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 actually proud of that part of it. The fish are back there in the creeks and spawning.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e faced the music and fixed up the creek from my perspective,91裸聊视频� he said.