Vale found not guilty of polluting waters near Voisey's Bay mine

Vale Newfoundland and Labrador has been found not guilty of polluting Edward's Cove in Labrador during work at the Voisey's Bay mine in October 2011.

• Vale accused of dumping 'lethal effluent' in Labrador bay
• Vale pleads not guilty to environmental charges

The company was charged in June 2013. Vale was accused of putting "lethal effluent" harmful to fish, into the cove in Anaktalak Bay, site of its deep-water port.

Vale NL is allowed to treat liquid waste from the mine and release it into the waters under the federal Fisheries Act, but had experienced "acute lethality" test failures.

Four water samples had been flown to St. John's on different dates in October of 2011.

On all four occasions, fish exposed to the effluent in the laboratory in St. John's did die. But, because Judge Walsh said he couldn't be sure the samples were handled properly, he had reasonable doubt about how shipping affected the effluent. 

The samples were supposed to be kept in the dark at four degrees Celsius, but Justice Walsh said there was no evidence that had actually happened.

There was no evidence fish died in Edward's Cove because of the effluent.