The Forest Practices Board received a complaint from a Robson Valley resident who has a grazing lease on Crown land near Tindill Creek, 50 kilometres southeast of McBride.
In March 2002, a contractor working for McBride Forest Industries (the licensee) began harvesting a 49-hectare cutblock on the grazing lease. On April 1, 2002, the complainant discovered what appeared to be an oil spill at a landing in the cutblock. Snow was melting and the oil flowed downhill with the melt water.
The complainant takes drinking water from Tindill Creek and his cattle and wildlife drink from a spring in the cutblock. He was concerned that the oil could contaminate the spring and Tindill Creek.