(Video: JA Jack of the Williams Lake Indian Band Opposition, http://www.texelc.blogspot.ca)
from Earth First! Newswire
According to Canadian officials, the Mount Polley tailings pond spill, which gushed 2.5 billion gallons of contaminated water and releasing 2.5 billion gallons of contaminated water and 4.5 million cubic meters of mining waste into Hazeltine Creek, Polley Lake and Quesnel Lake, will not damage fish populations or make the water unsafe.
A state of emergency was declared after the spill, which threatened 2.4 million people who live along the Fraser River—including 32 communities and the Vancouver Metro area, but this mining disaster—possibly the largest in world history—is not causing any serious problems, according to officials.
According to the Health Ministry, the fish are safe to eat, and the water ban has been generally lifted: “I have no reason to believe that this water was ever exposed to unsafe levels of contaminants from the mine breach,” said Dr. Trevor Corneil of the Interior Health on Tuesday.
First Nations such as the Chilicotin and Northern Shuswap, as well as the Xaxli’p – Sek’wel’was – Tsk’way’laxw, hold a different opinion. According to a notice sent out earlier this week, contaminated fish have been found in Six Mile and Lytton, BC. Reports of skin peeling off the fish have been issued, indicating a chemical reaction of contamination.
According to Alexandra Morton, executive director of the Department of Wild Salmon, as of Tuesday, August 12 (the same day Corneil made his statement), Canadian officials had not been testing fish, and had not shared any results with First Nations. “It is a breach of government responsibility,” Morton wrote, “that every First Nation along the river has not already been contacted with test results. I understand the First Nations Health Authority is doing testing.”
“I have spent 30 years trying to protect wild salmon from farm salmon disease. As a result, I am very familiar with government smoke and mirrors when a business activity threatens the health of British Columbia,” Morton explains.
“Simply put, the escape of millions of cubic metres of mine tailings into the Fraser River should concern all Canadians whether they live downstream of a mine or not, because we are a society that cares about the fate of our children.”
If the Canadian government has not been conducting serious samples or sharing samples with First Nations communities, they are not in any place to declare the water safe either for human use or animal habitat.
Native bands are using the precautionary principle, calling for further tests and studies, and for a rapid clean-up.
According to JA Jack of the Williams Lake Indian Band Opposition, “We don’t believe the water samples are good enough, and the evidence is in the sludge.”
The Secwepemc Women Warriors Against Imperial Metals has launched a campaign to remove Imperial Metals from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Kanahus Pelkey states, “Please come and stand with me to sing songs and send prayers for our Salmon and Water and all those impacted by the devastating Imperial Metals tailings spill in my Secwepemc homelands. Come stand with me to force the Toronto Stock Exchange to pull Imperial Metals stocks off the TSX.”
According to Miranda Dick, reporting from on site, waste is still spilling out of the breach, there is no clean up happening at the tailings pond spill, and Imperial is determined to restart operations in six months. According to the Vancouver Sun, Imperial Metals’ insurance may not be enough to compensate for the hundreds of millions of dollars in damages caused by the spill. If Imperial has its way, the BC government may end up picking up the tab.
“I think mining companies should be concerned all over the world that this does get cleaned up properly. It’s a black eye on the mining industry everywhere, especially in a western country like Canada where they tout the highest standards possible,” said Richard Holmes, a fisheries biologist who works for the Soda Creek Indian Band. “Today, we are looking like a third-world country.”
Numerous concerns over safety and environmental problems with Mount Polley were raised before the tailings pond breach. Larry Chambers was dismissed late last year after raising concerns. Before ceasing work with the Mount Polley Mine Corporation, , issued a warning about the tailings pond. According to a statement released on August 8, “Upon completing all assignments as the Engineer of Record in 2010, Knight Piésold Ltd. wrote to Mount Polley Mining Corporation and to the Government of British Columbia’s Chief Inspector of Mines and stated that “the embankments and the overall tailings impoundment are getting large and it is extremely important that they be monitored, constructed and operated properly to prevent problems in the future.” (See letter dated February 10, 2011).” Former foreman of the mine, Gerald MacBurney, has said the company did not heed the warning.