Imperial Mines CEO  Bryan Kynoch downplayed the extent of the disaster after a mine tailings pond burst sending over 5 million meters of contaminated sludge into Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake near Likely B.C.. He stated that the water was still safe to drink despite the fact that high levels of toxic chemicals such as arsenic cadmium and mercury  triggered a total water-use ban, killed fish, threatened the salmon run and the entire ecosystem and resulted in a state of emergency being declared for the region.