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Broken Lake Toy Blamed for Sprawling Shawnigan Lake Styrofoam Spill
Hundreds of thousands of pellets spilled from a broken flotation toy, and volunteers say the material is clinging to lily pads and harming wildlife.
- On Sunday, May 10, nature photographer Sarah Hughes discovered hundreds of thousands of polystyrene pellets polluting Shawnigan Lake near St. John's Academy after tracing them to a broken flotation toy in a dock box.
- The dock box lacked a lid, allowing hundreds of thousands of pellets to escape into the water. Styrofoam is harmful to local bird, fish, and reptile species that inhabit the lake.
- Hughes and a friend successfully cleared the dock using a shop vac, yet removing pellets from the marsh's lily pads remains difficult. A dead duck was found nearby; Hughes said "a cause of death isn't easy to obtain on a wild duck."
- To address the pollution, Hughes contacted the Shawnigan Basin Society and plans to write letters to the CVRD, MLA, and MP. She intends to demand the manufacturer remove these products from store shelves.
- Research by Hughes indicates the same toy caused a larger spill in Lake Tahoe in 2021. She aims to create awareness and urge property owners to secure lakeside toys to prevent further environmental damage.
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Sooke News Mirror+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Broken lake toy blamed for sprawling Shawnigan Lake Styrofoam spill
Still buzzing from the community’s successful clean-up efforts on April 25 at the annual clean-up day, Shawnigan Lake’s Sarah Hughes took to the lake for a paddle on Sunday, May 10. The nature photographer wanted to paddle to the east side of the lake, near St. John’s Academy, and photograph water lilies in a marshy area. When she got there, it wasn’t the lilies that caught her eye. It was the abundance of polystyrene pellets that had overwhelme…
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Total News Sources3
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center0Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Left
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources lean Left
100% Left
L 100%
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