VICTORIA – British Columbia’s Quarterly Environmental Enforcement Summary for the first quarter of 2016 outlines four orders, 15 administrative sanctions, 279 tickets and 25 court convictions for a combined total of over $3.5 million in penalties.

B.C.’s Quarterly Environmental Enforcement Summary is published four times a year. It lists enforcement actions taken and associated fines for violations such as hunting and fishing without a licence, open burning out of season, illegal mud bogging and introducing waste into the environment.

This quarterly summary marks the first time enforcement actions under the Off-Road Vehicle Act have been reported. Thirty tickets were issued under the new act, which replaces the 40-year-old Motor Vehicle (All Terrain) Act with a modern management structure that better aligns with all current regulatory regimes. The new act provides specific rules governing British Columbia’s growing off-road sector to ensure these vehicles are driven in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. A ticket for using an unregistered off-road vehicle on Crown land is $230.

Teck Metals Ltd. was ordered to pay $3.4 million in court fines and creative sentencing payments. The company also was convicted under the Environmental Management Act and the federal Fisheries Act for unauthorized discharges.