‘Unbelievable devastation’: Massive mining waste spill causes water ban in Canada |

“The devastation up the lake is unbelievable,” a local resident Peggy Zorn told CBC

Millions of cubic meters of water, sand and chemicals, which were released into the waterways of British Columbia, Canada, from a breached mine tailings pond have led to a total water ban for residents in the area of the incident.

Some 10 million cubic meters of water and 4.5 million cubic meters of fine sand from the tailings pond of the Mount Polley copper and gold mine spilled over into lakes and creeks in the area on Monday, according to a statement by the British Columbia’s Environment Minister Bill Bennett, released the following day.

The waste waters that are now out in the wild are likely to contain lead, arsenic, zinc, mercury and phosphorus, as that’s what 2013 research found in the pond, according to a report from Environment Canada.

The water is currently being tested for possible contamination. Meanwhile, 300 people living in the affected area have been warned not to drink local water and also to keep pets and livestock away from it.

The aerial footage of Mount Polley posted by Cariboo Regional District shows a washed out road and massive amounts of grey muddy water all over the region with loads of uprooted trees flowing in it.

“The devastation up the lake is unbelievable,” a local resident Peggy Zorn told CBC. “The tailings pond is so full of chemicals. The water is green, fish floating…. It’s sad,” another local, Lawna Bourassa, told the news outlet.