Mackenzie BC (7/7/2021) – Conifex Power Inc. (Conifex) was issued three administrative penalties totalling $68,000 for failing to comply with their effluent permit. Confiex operates a biomass fired electrical generation facility in Mackenzie, BC and burns wood waste (hog fuel) to generate power.

Conifex exceeded permit limits nine times for Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5) and nine times for toxicity limits and failed to conduct follow up sampling after the exceedances. BOD5 is used to measure the effect that effluent will have on receiving waters and toxicity tests are conducted to determine how damaging a substance is to living organisms.

The contraventions occurred between October 2017 and November 2018.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/research-monitoring-reporting/reporting/env-compliance-inspection-report