FOREST COMPANY FINED $3,500 FOR ILLEGALLY DISPOSING OF WASTE ON CROWN LAND

[Some Old Guy 968]

THUNDER BAY - A local forest company has been fined $3,500 after pleading guilty to disposing of waste on Crown land.

Buchanan Forest Products was fined $1,500 for leaving treated bridge timbers near Windblown Lake; $1,500 for leaving bridge decking and filter cloth near Powell Lake; and $500 for leaving skidder chains and used oil filters near Waverly Road. The incidents occurred between December, 2000 and May, 2005.

The company agreed to clean up the waste and has done so.

Court heard that a Ministry of Natural Resources Thunder Bay District conservation officer discovered the waste in three different locations while on routine patrol. Charges were laid after an investigation.

Justice of the Peace Robert Michels heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Thunder Bay, on August 2, 2006.

The ministry reminds the public that it is illegal to dump garbage on Crown land. Laws regarding the use of Crown land are in place to ensure that it will be available for future generations for recreational and commercial purposes.