Fishermen looking for federal support in their campaign to protection transboundary waters from potential adverse impact from mining are hoping Secretary of State John Kerry will lend a hand.
They want Kerry to help by securing agreements with Canada to protect river waters critical to salmon habitat and to indemnify from loss those who could be harmed as a result of mining activity along the border, says Dale Kelley, executive director of the Alaska Trollers Association.
Kelly, along with tribal leaders in Southeast Alaska, are getting help from the Alaska congressional delegation, which has once again asked Kerry to work with British Columbia officials to institute appropriate safeguards to prevent environmental damage to waterways and fisheries from Canadian mines.
The delegation said in a letter to Kerry in early September that while mining is central to the Alaska economy, they are concerned about what they see as an absence of leadership at the State Department level to constructively and candidly address transboundary issues and work collaboratively with Canada to find the best mechanism to proactively resolve concerns.
The delegation said treating transboundary mining issues with urgency and focus today would prevent discord and disaster tomorrow. “We need the federal government to partner with Alaska to press Canada on policy answers,” they said.
The delegation has asked for a meeting with Kerry, appointment of a special representative for U.S.-Canada transboundary issues, and creation of an interagency working group to address concerns of Alaskans and act on steps such as a referral of the issue to the International Joint Commission.
This is the fourth letter the delegation has sent to the State Department in the last two and a half years.
Frederick Olsen Jr., chairman of the United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group, and Rob Sanderson Jr., first vice president of Central Council Indian Tribes of Alaska, and treasurer of the mining work group, applauded the delegation’s efforts.
“We don’t need more research on whether the International Joint Commission is relevant to our area,” Olsen said.
Sanderson called for more direct consultation with Alaska tribes and the federal government, saying the delegation recognizes the tribes are willing to work with them. The mining work group represents 15 federally recognized tribes in Southeast Alaska.
More than 10 large-scale open-pit hard rock mines are in various stages of development in British Columbia, mines that the group contends threaten the transboundary Taku, Stikine and Unuk rivers. All three rivers originate in British Columbia and flow into Southeast Alaska, supporting a traditional way of life in Southeast Alaska as well as multi-billion dollar fishing and tourism businesses.
Nearly 10,000 letters asked for international involvement in the matter were delivered to Kerry in April from Americans supporting protection of salmon habitat and jobs for Southeast Alaska.
The new effort for federal level involvement comes as the Chieftain Metals Corp., owners of the defunct Tulsequah Chief mine in the Taku watershed in British Columbia, has gone into receivership.
Chris Zimmer, Alaska campaign director for the non-profit Rivers Without Borders, in Juneau, said the Tulsequah Chief mine, which has leaked acid drainage for over two decades, is a poster child for downstream concerns.
A spokesperson for the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines said that Minister Bill Bennett was not immediately available for comment, but would be willing to discuss the matter.
