Welcome to Williams Lake - May 1, 2012

Taseko Mines President and CEO Russell Halbauer sent a letter to Federal Minister of Environment Peter Kent in November 2011, questioning the fairness and objectivity of the Federal Review Panel process. 

(TNG drummers, singers and guests share a song during the Amnesty International presentation regarding Prosperity Mine in the Gibraltar Room last November.)

He said that the “first and most significant” concern is that, during the first federal review process, one of the panel members was acting as coordinator for a First Nations organization—advocating for land usage right.

Taseko also believes, according to the letter, that is was not appropriate for the panel to begin its hearing with an aboriginal prayer ceremony. The letter said that one of the things that questioned the objectivity of the panel were certain presentations that were allowed, including a play put on by children wearing fish cut-outs on the their heads, and then falling on the floor, symbolizing the death of the fish.

Mr. Halbauer said that another example of unfairness was what he called “a 40 minute sensational movie entitled ‘Blue Gold: the Tsilhqot’in Fight for Teztan Biny.’”

He also stated that Taseko wanted to raise concerns about spiritual issues being addressed during the review process.

Russell Halbauer concluded the letter by saying that he raised these concerns in a positive spirit, with the goal of ensuring that the next panel process is effective, efficient and fair. 

“The new CEAA Panel will soon be appointed, and the fight to stop ‘New Prosperity’ Mine is increasing in strength,” stated the Friends of Nemaiah in a press release today. “It’s important to remember that not only was the proposed destruction of Fish Lake/Teztan Biny an important factor in the first refusal, the Panel also found the mine ‘would result in significant adverse environmental effects on fish and fish habitat, on navigation, on the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by First Nations and on cultural heritage, and on certain potential or established Aboriginal rights or title.’

“These issues are not resolved by the ‘new’ proposal.”

The Tsilhqot’in National Government (TNG) calls the letter from Taseko Mines ‘deeply offensive’ and states that First Nations are alarmed that the draft Terms of Reference for the new Panel, which are expected to be finalized any day, would drastically reduce or even remove the new Panel’s mandate to consider impacts on Aboriginal rights.    

“What concerns us is this letter is part of a major lobbying campaign by TML, which had three lobbyists registered in Ottawa on this file,” adds Chief Joe Alphonse. “The failure of CEAA or the government to assure us the rules of the game are not going to be changed for this second review – which should never have been granted in the first place – obviously makes us wonder if we should be worried that the fix is in.”

Today’s press release from the TNG says that the profound spiritual importance of this area to the Tsilhqot’in people was a significant factor in the decision of the federal panel that reviewed the original Prosperity Mine proposal. It states that proposal was soundly rejected by the Federal Government in November 2010, in part based on permanent, high magnitude impacts on Tsilhqot’in culture and cultural heritage.

“This is a black eye to the mining industry and we hope it is not one it would endorse, but we are not surprised that Mr. Hallbauer would write such an offensive letter,” said Chief Alphonse. “We have warned over and over again that this company does not understand or respect First Nations or our issues.  This letter proves, once again, that this is the wrong project, in the wrong place, by the wrong company.”

The original letter can be found at this link:

http://www.ubcic.bc.ca/files/20111123_Hallbauer_Kent_AboriginalParticipation.pdf

http://welcometowilliamslake.ca/index.php/human-interest/76-human-interest/5412-taseko-letter-to-minister-of-environment-comes-to-light.html

Welcome to Williams Lake - February 27, 2012

Taseko Mines Limited announced today that the temporary injunction preventing the Company from undertaking routine exploration work on the New Prosperity site pending a BC Supreme Court Judicial Review, has been vacated by court order.

On February 28, 2012 Taseko will commence a reduced scope of work that will be undertaken for the sole purposes of obtaining information required for the Federal environmental assessment of the proposed New Prosperity Project. On this basis, the parties have agreed not to further pursue existing legal actions.

http://www.welcometowilliamslake.ca/index.php/the-news/local-news/5071-new-prosperity-gold-copper-mine-project.html

Williams Lake Tribune - Februar 27, 2012

The temporary injunction preventing Taseko Mines Ltd. from undertaking routine exploration work on the New Prosperity site, pending a B.C. Supreme Court judicial review, has been vacated by court order.

A press releases from the company says that on Feb. 28, Taseko will commence a reduced scope of work that will be undertaken for the sole purposes of obtaining information required for the federal environmental assessment of the proposed New Prosperity project, the company announced Monday.

On this basis, the parties have agreed not to further pursue existing legal actions.

http://www.wltribune.com/news/140657083.html

The Canadian Press - February 27, 2012

VANCOUVER - Taseko Mines Ltd. (TSX:TKO) says it will begin exploration work at the New Prosperity site in B.C.’s central interior after a court overturned an injunction brought by the Tsilhqot’in First Nation.

Taseko said Tuesday that the injunction, granted in December, was vacated by court order.

The mining company said it plans to begin preliminary work on Tuesday to obtain information it needs in advance of a federal environmental assessment.

The company has 12 months to complete the necessary work at the site needed for a second federal government environmental process, but has said the band refused to allow workers on the land.

The First Nation wanted the court to keep the mining firm out of its territory, preventing it from doing any work until the B.C. Appeal Court rules on the band’s case involving aboriginal title in certain claim areas.

Tsilhqot’in Chief Marilyn Baptiste has said the B.C. government simply rubber stamped Taseko’s permits and licences for the mine, without consulting with them as required.

The mine has a controversial history. The proposal for the $1.1-billion mine was approved by the B.C. government, but was rejected in a federal government environmental review in 2010.

Late last year, Ottawa agreed to hear a second environmental review after Taseko reworked the project, planned to spend an extra $300 million to address environmental concerns and promised to save Fish Lake, which band members say is culturally significant to them.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/taseko-to-begin-work-at-new-prosperity-after-injunction-overturned-140558643.html

Williams Lake Tribune - November 15, 2011

Editor:

The newly rebranded “New Prosperity” is, once again, entering a risky venture that depends on the Crown’s ability to claim exclusive ownership over the land.

The July 2, 2010 federal panel report highlighted the potential infringement of aboriginal rights and title. Legally, these represent proprietary rights that give the original communities the ability to choose what happens with their land and to determine what kind of development should exist. Overwhelmingly, during the course of the panel hearings, the Tsilhqot’in and Secwepmec indicated their preference to keep the land and culture protected for the benefit of animals and plants, and the community economy that relates to consuming from the land.

Indigenous nations still hold these rights and responsibilities, which were never legitimately or legally extinguished. Each landmark court decision affirms this fact. Like these court decisions, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which took 20 years to construct to devise basic minimal rights, expresses the need for “free prior informed consent,” the ability to make decisions in regards to the potential affects, the right to raise children within their culture and land.

Although Canada pretends innocently that the rule of law is never violated, it appears that the Tsilhqot’in will continue to face the burden of the colonial code: the Crown is superior, Indigenous inferior; therefore, the Crown shall apply arbitrary rules, processes, and initiate any economic development activity without our consent. Consent is the heart of the issue. Yet it should be clear that the Crown has not dealt with the fundamental issue concerning the land, and this unresolved issue will ensure that Taseko Mines’ proposal will fail once again.

Russell Myers

Williams Lake

http://www.wltribune.com/opinion/letters/133849163.html

Mining Weekly.com - November 15, 2011

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – The clash between Taseko Mines and First Nations groups seeking to stop it from building the New Prosperity copper-gold mine in British Columbia, boiled over into the courts this week, with both sides seeking injunctions against the other.

Taseko said in a statement late on Monday that it was seeking an order to prevent people from “unlawfully” blocking access to the project to perform exploration work it needs to do for an environmental study.

The Tsilhqot’in Nation responded by filing an injunction against the Toronto-listed company to prevent it from building roads, drilling, digging test pits, and clearing trees at the site of New Prosperity, located 125-kilometres south-west of Williams Lake.

In its notice of civil claim, filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Taseko said the plaintiffs – Emery Phillips, Marie William, and Marilyn Baptiste, as well as three other unnamed people – on two occasions blocked access to the property for its workers or contractors, the most recent incident occurring on November 12.

The Tsilhqot’in argue that British Columbia did not consult them properly before granting Taseko work permits.

Baptiste, Chief of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation said that on November 6, she had confronted company representatives at the property and “peacefully and respectfully asked them to leave”.

She added in a telephone interview the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had been at the scene of the November 12 incident.

“They will be hugely destroying a lot of that land there,” Baptiste said.

Taseko spokesperson Brian Battison told Mining Weekly Online that the Vancouver-based company was simply “acting within the law and we expect others to do the same”.

The Federal government in November denied the miner’s application to build what was then called the Prosperity project, saying it would do too much damage to the environment.

Taseko went back to the drawing board and submitted a new plan that would not use a lake as a tailings pond, but would add $300-million to the project’s costs.

The government acknowledged receipt of the revised plan in August, and the miner said it anticipated a decision by November next year.

Aboriginal groups have been among the harshest opponents of the mine, rejecting the new plan as being even more harmful than the initial one.

The company has touted the potential economic benefits of New Prosperity, saying in October the $1.5-billion plan would lift employment by 71 000, bolster federal government coffers to the tune of $4.3-billion, and increase British Columbia’s revenue by an even more impressive $5.5-billion over two decades of operation.

Taseko said in its notice of claim that it seeks relief to prevent the defendants and other people from blocking its access to the New Prosperity site, and also seeks unquantified general, punitive, special and aggrevated damages.

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/taseko-takes-new-prosperity-adversaries-to-court-2011-11-15

Salmon Guy Blog - November 8, 2011

Taseko’s “Prosperity” project

_ _ _ _ _

Here we go… all over again.

For the first time in the history of the Canadian Environmental Assessment (CEA) process — a project outright rejected because of its many potential negative impacts (environmental and social), gets a second chance.

Globe & Mail:

Controversial Prosperity mine proposal gets second chance

Montreal Gazette:

Kent criticized over second review of huge B.C. mine proposal

Well… now it seems after rejection the first time through… that they’ve changed their tune…

Why?

Simply… because the price of gold and copper are soaring.

Well… what happens when those prices crash again?

They don’t call it a “commodity cycle” for nothing.

The whacky thing about it all… it wasn’t just the killing of the lake that was the problem with the original proposal. There were a slew of other issues including impacts on grizzly bears and so on. As well as social issues with the fact all First Nations in the area are opposed to the project — and in BC there are still no treaties after decades of failing, flailing attempts by bureaucracy — and over a century and a half of efforts by many First Nation communities.

_ _ _ _ _ _

New tag line for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Process…

don’t like the result the first time around… try, try, try again.

I’m sure there’s no link here with non-elected Premier Christy Clark and newly elected majority Harper — and the BC “jobs plan”… otherwise known as the plan for “short term gain, for long-term pain“.

http://www.salmonguy.org/?p=4576