Sierra Club BC - Last Modified: Feb 21, 2012

Photo: Doug Keech, www.dougkeech.ca

Eliminating regulations for B.C.’s expanding mining projects will jeopardize water and wildlife and lead to increased community concern and conflict, Sierra Club BC warns following the B.C. budget. The government will spend $24 million to reduce the turnaround time for mineral exploration permits, but not a penny more to ensure robust environmental assessment capacity.

The budget, released February 21, earmarks $24 million to reduce the turnaround time for mineral exploration permits as the government focuses on eliminating “unnecessary regulations” for B.C.’s rapidly expanding mining sector.

“British Columbians are increasingly concerned about secure access to clean water, but this budget fast-tracks mining projects while cutting regulatory provisions that clearly exist to protect the public interest,” said Sierra Club BC Executive Director George Heyman. “There is no vision here for a sustainable economy that protects our environmental assets. Instead, we have more raw resource extraction with reduced public interest protection.”

Government’s public affairs bureau budget – at $26 million — is now three times as big as the budget for B.C.’s environmental assessment office, which has been frozen at $8.75 million despite a significant leap in proposed mining and energy projects.

“There appears to be plenty of money for the government to spin its message, but no increased funding for environmental assessment.  New mine proposals around the province, and the environmentally questionable practice of natural gas fracking, cry out for strong measures that guarantee public and community health,” said Heyman.

Notably, B.C.’s environmental assessment process gave a green-light to the controversial “Prosperity” open pit mine at Fish Lake, a mine that was later rejected by former federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice. “And now the B.C. government wants to make it even easier for mining companies to engage in controversial road-building and drilling that will only lead to community conflict and economic uncertainty around the province,” said Heyman.

Heyman also said the government’s announcement of a one-year review of B.C.’s carbon tax sends the wrong signal at a critical time when scientists say we need immediate action to slow global warming. “Real climate leadership requires long-term commitment, not a one-time gesture,” he stated. Learn more about global warming and the need for action.

Rather than starting to restore B.C.’s ailing parks system following a decade of devastating cuts, the parks budget remains static. “Investing in B.C.’s parks system would create jobs and provide B.C. families with affordable recreation activities that help children develop healthy lifestyles. If Premier Clark is serious about focusing on families, repairing our B.C. parks system would be a great place to start.”

Heyman said the B.C. government needs to follow the lead of jurisdictions like Ontario and eliminate privileged permit treatment for the mining sector by modernizing B.C.’s mineral tenure act to ensure a level playing field for all industries, and respect for community development plans and First Nations rights. Learn more.

http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/our-work/mining-energy/spotlights/b.c.-budget-risks-water-environment

Sierra Club of BC - February 16, 2012

Photo: Lee-Anne Stack, www.oceans-and-above.com

It’s déjà-vu for Fish Lake. The federal government is now accepting public comments for an environmental assessment of Taseko’s “New Prosperity” mine. Sound familiar? A previous federal environmental assessment found that the proposed gold and copper mine near Williams Lake would cause irreparable damage. So why is a questionable project back on the front burner? Take Action.

Taseko Mines Ltd.’s original proposal for an open pit mine near Williams Lake was rejected in November 2010 by former federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice, following a scathing environmental assessment that concluded the mine would cause irreparable damage to First Nations rights, as well as to fish stocks and at-risk grizzly populations.

One year later, in November 2011, Ottawa accepted a second open pit mine proposal from Taseko for environmental review. The company’s first proposal would have turned Fish Lake – home to 80,000 rainbow trout and once featured on a B.C. tourism brochure – into a toxic tailings pond. The proposal under current review would see Fish Lake rendered unusable for up to 33 years. Little Fish Lake, which is crucial to the ecosystem that supports the unique trout population, would be destroyed.

Click here to submit a comment to the federal environmental assessment until February 22.

Read our press release.

“There is something seriously wrong with our assessment process when a company like Taseko can simply re-submit a mining proposal after it has been soundly rejected,” said Sierra Club BC Executive Director George Heyman. “It would be a far better use of time and money to focus on mining proposals that are more environmentally appropriate and have the support of First Nations.”

The proposed mine is on the traditional lands of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, a member of the Tsilhqot’in National Government, which won a court case recognizing its rights to the area and is staunchly opposed to the mine. Read Chief Marilyn Baptiste’s letter in the Vancouver Sun.

Changes to the federal Fisheries Act allow metal mining corporations to use Canadian lakes to dispose of the millions of tonnes of toxic waste rock and tailings they generate.  Little Fish Lake would be Canada’s fifth pristine natural water body authorized for destruction under this loophole, which was originally introduced solely to allow mines already approved and in existence to complete their economic life cycle.

Sierra Club BC and other groups are asking Ottawa to close the legislative loophole that allows destruction of Canada’s freshwater bodies for toxic mine tailings, and to ensure the intent of our Fisheries Act is no longer undermined.

Take Action.

100 Mile Free Press - November 30, 2011

To the editor:

It’s time for Prosperity Mine supporters to be more vocal because the mine would give this area a future.

It’s very easy to drive down the road in three tons of metal and plastic and feel green, but the fact is it all comes from the ground, and maybe from the Third World where there are no controls.

Schools, hospitals, roads and the like came from the wealth produced from our resources not from pan-sized fish.

It would be wise for the native people in the area to step into the future and stop looking back all the time. There are native groups who have done so and are doing just fine.

Sure, there is a price to pay, but if you believe the Sierra Club, it’s always a disaster.

It’s simply not so, as this is 2011 not 1911 - think about it.

Jack Lennox

100 Mile House

Business in Vancouver - November 17, 2011

Almost 80% of British Columbians want an end to preferential treatment for the province’s mining sector and 73% believe B.C.’s environmental assessment process needs to be strengthened, according to poll results released yesterday by Sierra Club BC.

http://www.bivinteractive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5039:british-columbians-want-stricter-mining-regulations-sierra-club&catid=14:daily-news&Itemid=46

Williams Lake Tribune - November 10, 2011

The decision to review a revised Prosperity Mine project is a first for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

Although the agency has never received a revised project, Annie Roy, communications manager for CEAA, said the Prosperity proposal is considered a new project because it is “another option.”

However, Tsilqot’in National Government tribal chair Chief Joe Alphonse has taken no pleasure in any distinction.

Alphonse called the CEAA’s decision to proceed with a panel review - as it did with the previous proposal - “mindboggling.”

He noted it was within Taseko’s rights to reapply, but said the government’s acceptance of the proposal for review is not something a “credible government” would do.

Alphonse said there should not be a panel review but that First Nations will participate in the process.

“As distasteful as that is for us that’s one of the only options we are subject to,” he said.

“I think there’s a lot of frustration within our communities right now. We have to continue to do what’s best for our nation and that’s protect our interests.”

In a prepared release, Russell Hallbauer, Taseko president and CEO, said of the decision, “While we need to develop a better understanding of the specifics of the panel review, the timeline evidences a significant commitment by CEAA to work effectively with us in this process.

“It is our sincere desire that New Prosperity moves through the panel review process in this time frame and that the benefits of the project begin to be realized by the country, the province, the local communities and aboriginals in the coming years.”

In an interview conducted earlier this month, a Taseko representative indicated there was an expectation the CEAA would proceed with a comprehensive study.

Roy said a review panel was chosen by the federal Minister of Environment on the basis that the project could create “significant environmental effects.”

The timeline for the review is 12 months. The release issued by the CEAA indicated the review would utilize information obtained during the previous environmental assessment “to the extent possible to ensure a timely decision.

Roy said the federal and provincial assessment processes will occur separately.

B.C.’s Environment Minister Terry Lake said Taseko is applying for an amendment to its current environment certificate that was issued by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment office last year.

Lake said although the provincial and federal assessment processes are separate he wanted to ensure some coordination.

He added it would be helpful if the two processes finish their work at the same time.  Under the provincial environmental assessment model, Lake explained it is common for projects that submitted changes after receiving an environmental certificate to proceed with an amendment.

“They have an EA so as far as the provincial decision making was concerned they had that process. Now they have to apply for an amendment to it to reflect the differences between the certificate that was issued and the proposed plan.”

Lake said a decision regarding the provincial environmental assessment will be made by himself or the executive director of the B.C. Environmental Assessment office.

To date, the First Nations Summit, the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Committee have come out in opposition of the review.

http://www.wltribune.com/news/133580753.html

Sierra Club BC - February 21, 2011

Taseko Mines has submitted a revised proposal for its  controversial Fish Lake gold and copper mine. This time, the company has flip-flopped and says it won’t have to destroy Fish Lake after all. But is that really the case?

The company’s February 21 announcement comes on the heels of B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Christy Clark’s statement that, if elected, she would ask Ottawa to re-consider its decision to turn down the mine proposal.

Read Sierra Club BC’s press release about Clark’s statement.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet rejected Taseko’s original proposal, after the B.C. government issued a 25-year mining lease. Following Christy Clark’s recent statement that it “isn’t the final decision as far as I am concerned,” Harper reiterated that the decision was final.

Sierra Club BC strongly supports the findings of a federal environmental assessment review panel that concluded that Taskeo’s proposed “Prosperity” mine would result in “high-magnitude, long-term and irreversible impacts on fish and fish habitat” and significant adverse effect on “the Tsilhqot’in Nation” and “established Tsilhqot’in aboriginal rights”.

The proposed “Prosperity” open-pit mine is on the traditional lands of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, a member of the Tsilhqot’in National Government, which won a court case recognizing its rights to the area.

The federal environmental assessment panel also noted the “significant adverse cumulative effect” on grizzly bears in the South Chilcotin region. 

Read the full report.

Sierra Club BC has actively supported the Tsilhqot’in National Government’s opposition to the mine and urged Prime Minister Harper to save Fish Lake. Our supporters sent 2,000 letters to the Prime Minister.

Taseko has not yet released details of its revised plan. A company press release says that the new proposal “enables all mine operations and related components to be contained within one single watershed.”  Previously, the company had said that the mine would only be viable if it could drain Fish Lake and turn it into a waste rock dump.

Taseko’s flip-flop on the need to destroy Fish Lake raises a number of questions. Why didn’t Taesko submit a design to prevent the destruction of Fish Lake in the first place, if destroying the lake wasn’t necessary? Will the company be permitted to re-open the environmental assessment process with its new design?  

Read our press release following the federal government decision.

Read the story in the Globe and Mail.

Changes to the federal Fisheries Act allow metal mining corporations to use Canadian lakes to dispose of the millions of tonnes of toxic waste rock and tailings they generate.  Fish Lake would have been Canada’s fifth pristine natural water body authorized for destruction under this loophole, which was originally introduced solely to allow mines already approved and in existence to complete their economic life cycle. 

“It boggles my mind that the B.C. government would have even considered destroying a huge, well-stocked fishing lake that is of great significance to an indigenous community, and is surrounded by cultural sites including First Nations burial grounds,” said Sierra Club BC Executive Director George Heyman.

“Now we must close the legislative loophole that allows destruction of Canada’s freshwater bodies for toxic mine tailings, and ensure the intent of our Fisheries Act is no longer undermined,” Heyman said.