Native group hits back at Taseko over revived mine plan

The chief of the Canadian First Nation at the centre of the controversial Prosperity Mine in north-central British Columbia lashed out at the company Thursday over its attempt to renew the project. Canada News Wire reports:

Taseko Mine’s Limited is playing costly and dangerous games with First Nations and all British Columbians in its cynical attempt to revive its so-called Prosperity mine, the Tsilhqot’in National Government said today.

“This latest move would be laughable, were the issue not so serious,” said TNG Tribal Chair Chief Joe Alphonse. “Enough is enough. It is time to put an end to this company wasting everybody’s time and resources on a project that most now realize is a dead issue.”

Taseko said earlier this week that its new plan for the copper-gold mine would avoid destroying Fish Lake — an idea that riled environmentalists and First Nations groups last fall and led to the Canadian federal government rejecting the proposal under its environmental review process. The province’s environmental review had already approved the project.