- GR-3789
- Series
- 1981-1988
The series contains primarily reports of sample testing conducted by the Environmental Lab for legal cases. These legal cases involve the B.C. Provincial Government and companies or their owners who were accused of violating environmental acts (such as the Fisheries Act), usually by knowingly depositing harmful substances into the environment which could affect ecosystems. The reports contain information about which samples (usually water) were dropped off at the Environmental Lab, by whom, in what type of bottles and the location and time of sampling. The reports also list the results of which chemical compounds were found in the samples and at what concentration.
While the reports include a legal case number, they do not summarize the findings or comment on the results in relation to the case or its harmfulness to the environment. Some files, labeled by case number, contain additional records including the name of the accused (usually a business), shipping receipts for the samples, and on occasion a subpoena requesting that a chemist from the Environmental Laboratory appear in court as a witness. As the Environmental Laboratory was summoned to these cases as a witness and is not directly involved with prosecution, there are no details of the actual court cases. One file contains a letter from a solicitor commenting on the short-notice of the subpoena but contains no solicitor-client advice and therefore is not restricted.
The series also contains a box of metal pieces assumed to have been used during the analysis process.
British Columbia. Environmental Laboratory