Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) Newswire

By Carole Rooney - 100 Mile House Free Press
Published: February 15, 2012 8:00 AM
Updated: February 15, 2012 8:10 AM

Taseko Mines Ltd. vice-president Brian Battison is involved in extensive studies for the New Prosperity Mine federal environmental assessment. Last November, it was granted one year to resubmit its proposal.

An area First Nations leader doesn’t agree Taseko Mines Ltd. could successfully preserve Fish Lake in the proposed New Prosperity Mine project.

Tsilhqot’in National Government (TNG) tribal chair Chief Joe Alphonse says Fish Lake might remain there, but it wouldn’t have any fish in it.

The new proposal is “wiping out 80 per cent of the spawning grounds,” he explains. Regardless, what the plan is, Alphonse says the proposal for a mine and dam there would destroy the lake.

“There’s no dam in the world that has never leaked. Seepage is going to happen whether you like it or not.”

Even moving the mine a kilometre or two upstream, everything is still going to drain into Fish Lake, the TNG chair explains.

“We’re concerned that population of fish is going to be wiped out. That’s our biggest concern … has always been our concern…. What good is a lake that’s got no fish in it?”

Brian Battison, Taseko Mines Ltd corporate affairs vice-president, says the main reason the first proposal was rejected was the impact it would have on Fish Lake, but there is a way to retain the lake and control seepage.

“It was one of the ways that was examined as part of the alternatives assessment, which was part of the previous assessment as one of the options.

“There were other ways to do it, but none of them were economic … it was not viable at the time.”

Battison says the points Chief Alphonse raises will be examined in “considerable” detail in the environmental assessment process.

Taseko’s studies are still underway, he adds, and will continue for some time yet during the year’s timeline it was granted last November to resubmit.

“Those points will be addressed in detail, and need to be addressed to the satisfaction of regulators and to the Government of Canada.”

Battison explains Taseko expects examination of the interrelationship between the mine components and Fish Lake will be the “central focus” during the upcoming environmental assessment process.

“That is precisely what the studies we’re doing [are], and the kind of studies that need to be done to satisfy an environmental assessment.”

Meanwhile, Alphonse says it’s “just another kick at the can” for Taseko Mines and “more about bruised egos” than anything else.

However, Battison says Taseko would not be making the effort to submit a new plan if it didn’t believe these issues could be satisfactorily addressed for federal and provincial government regulators.

“We would not be pursuing an environmental assessment for this project if we weren’t fully confident we could address the concerns identified in the first environmental assessment.

“[The federal government was] very clear in their signals that they weren’t opposed to the mine being here, if we can address things.”

The process incorporates participation from the public, he notes, along with government regulators, that all have or may have direct input and questions answered.

Alphonse adds Taseko’s proposal is unlikely to succeed if an impartial review panel is selected.

“[Tsilhqot’in chiefs] are in a situation where we know they have to pick a panel, and as long as the panel is unbiased and that panel is comprised of a bunch of professionals, we think the findings are going to be again no different than they were the last go-around. We have confidence in that.”

Regarding the legal action Taseko announced Nov. 14 against undisclosed individuals who obstructed its employees and equipment convoy from entering the mine site, Battison remains tight-lipped.

“I’m not going to make any comment on that. I’m just not able to.”

He won’t confirm if this is due to legal proceedings.

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