Miner Firm Eviction After Contamination Spill

After Spilling 1.3 billion Gallons of Contamination In Nearby Lakes,Imperial Metals Corp Is Planned to be Evicted by First Nation

Earlier this month, hundreds of Canadians were unable to use their water after 1.3 billion gallons of slurry from an open pit mine in British Columbiaspilledinto nearby lakes, rivers and creeks. Now, a B.C. First Nation plans to evict the company, Imperial Metals Corp., over another project on their territory, CBC Newsreported.

Neskonlith Chief Judy Wilson said she intended to hand-deliver the notice to Imperial Metals on Thursday, directing the company to steer clear of the site of its proposed Ruddock Creek zinc and lead mine. If the mine is approved, it would be located at the headwaters of an important sockeye salmon run.

"We do not want the mine developing or operating in that sacred headwaters," Wilson told the CBC. "Our elders have stated very clearly that they do not want anything poisoning our water or our salmon."

While the Neskonlith were opposed to the mine long before the recent spill, Wilson said the incident shows that the mining industry cannot ensure the environment will be protected from their operations. "The industry has proven at Mount Polley that they can't regulate all of that," she said.

While water quality tests have deemed the water safe for use and local officials have said the Mount Polley spill won't damage fish populations in the area, experts say the incident — which resulted in the declaration of a localstate of emergency— could still be reason for concern. Megan Thompson, an aquatic ecologist and limnologist at a Canadian environmental consulting firm, told ThinkProgress' Katie Valentine that there are "many things in the tailings that could impact lakes and rivers, especially if those substances did not naturally occur in the aquatic systems prior to the spill."

Tailings ponds are used to store a mix of water, chemicals and ground-up minerals left over from mining operations. After the dam failed at Mount Polley, sending 2,000 Olympic swimming pools of waste into the water supply, the focus has been on plugging the dam before rains come to the area and assessing the damage. With 20 other operating mines with similar tailings ponds, the incident served as a wake-up call for officials, Mines Minister Bill Bennetttoldthe Vancouver Sun.

Source: Think Progress

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• Public Health
• Environment
• Pollution