Chemical spill kills 19 eagles in Prince Rupert landfill: city officials

A city in B.C. says dead eagles were found in a landfill caused by a “deleterious substance.”

In a statement, the City of Prince Rupert is out with a warning about how to dispose of chemicals properly after it says 19 eagles were found dead.

The city alleges it discovered a harmful substance was dumped in the liquid waste site at the local landfill.

“We immediately notified all appropriate authorities and mitigated the risk to the local environment and wildlife with all means available to us,” the city said.

The spill was contained to the pond and the substance that caused the tragedy is still under investigation.

The city staff started the cleanup the same day, and hired an environmental consultant to help with material identification and a long-term action plan.

“The City is thankful that this spill was contained to the pond and has not been released into the environment through the outfall,” it said.

Losing 19 eagles was a “devastating outcome” that deeply impacted city staff, the statement reads.

“We also understand the cultural importance of eagles and all wildlife to our local First Nations and the distressing impact this will have on many residents,” said the city.

“We are working closely with the Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada and Climate Change to identify mitigations and controls that will prevent this type of incident in future.”

The city is also reworking a past information campaign to raise awareness about how to discard harmful substances and chemicals.

With files from David Nadalini.