Mining authorities in British Columbia say a potential buyer of a mine with a history of polluting the salmon-rich Taku River watershed is no longer in discussions with the owner, Chieftain Mines.
British Columbia’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources also confirmed on Aug. 1 that the provincial government is escalating enforcement efforts to resolve pollution issues at the Tulsequah Chief Mine, with its deposits of copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold mine southwest of Atlin, BC.
First Nations, along with tribal entities in Southeast Alaska, environmental and commercial fishing entities have been urging BC officials for some time to clean up the mine out of concern for pollution to the Taku River watershed. The watershed is part of the salmon-rich transboundary river system flowing into Southeast Alaska.
They have also asked for action at a federal level between the governments of the United States and Canada.
Ministry spokeswoman Lindsay Byers said that if Chieftain Metals does not comply with additional orders handed down to resolve issues identified during a September 2016 mine site inspection that the government would take appropriate steps, which might include seeking relief from the courts.
Byers said the government also understands that a third party will be retaining an environmental consultant to review the existing data on the mine and will develop a set of remediation plans in contemplation of operating the mine, should there be a sale of the company Chieftain Metals.
Chris Zimmer, Alaska campaign director for the nonprofit environmental entity Rivers Without Borders said sources, which he did not identify said that the private company Black Loon Metals dropped its interest in purchasing the abandoned Tullsequah Chief mine at about the same time in July that the provincial government released an Aquatic Ecological Risk Assessment, which documented unacceptable risks from ongoing acid mining drainage from the Tulsequah Chief into the Taku River watershed.
The risk assessment report is online at http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/site-permitting-and-compliance/tulsequah/2017-04-17_tulsequah_mine_aera_slr_final_report.pdf
“After two bankruptcies and failed attempts to sell the mine out of receivership, it is clear the Tulsequah Chef is not a viable mine, financially, environmentally or politically,” Zimmer said. “The only way to stop the illegal and clearly harmful acid mine drainage from the abandoned mine into the salmon-rich Taku watershed is for BC to honor its promises and take responsibility for mine cleanup and closure.”
Byers noted in her email response to a query regarding the mine that the province may need to consider further steps, such as issuing a request for proposal for a reclamation plan, if the government determines the environmental consultant’s plan to be insufficient or Chieftain Metals or its receiver fail to implement the plan.
Byers noted that in the fall of 2016, the province confiscated the $1.2 million security held for the mine. A portion of those funds has been used to secure some hazardous waste on site and complete the aquatic and ecological risk assessment, she said.
The mine was operated in the 1950s and abandoned in 1957 without remediation, Zimmer said. Since then two companies have gone bankrupt trying to reopen the mine and little has been done to stop the pollution, he said. Chieftain Metals declared bankruptcy in September of last year and was placed into receivership.
