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Image from Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre.
As news related to Monday’s tailing ponds breach in Canada’s British Columbia continue to attract headlines, Alaskans are growing nervous about another Imperial Metals’ (TSX:III) mine nearing the end of construction.
The Red Chris copper and gold project, in northwest B.C., is located near the Iskut River, a major tributary of the Stikine River, which ends in southeast Alaska and it is considered one of the largest salmon habitats in the Tongass National Forest.
According to Imperial Metals’ website, Red Chris will process almost 30,000 tons of ore per day for 28 years. And after the Mount Polley disaster locals are saying a similar breach would ruin both the environment and the state’s economy.
“In Southeast Alaska, we will absorb nothing but risk,” Brian Lynch of the Petersburg Vessel Owner’s Association told JuneauEmpire.com. “A breach like [Mount Polley’s] would be a disaster (…) These systems produce a lot of salmon for our billion-dollar-a-year industry.”
“Sooner or later [the tailings dams] are going to fail,” Guy Archibald, mining and clean water coordinator at the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, was quoted as saying. “It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when.’”
Alaskan residents are not alone. Groups opposing North-eastern Minnesota proposed copper mines are using the spill as their newest weapon.
State of emergency
The area affected by Mount Polley’s tailings spill is under a state of local emergency, with population asked to refrain from drinking or using tap water. And while tests showed on Thursday that water quality near the breach meets drinking-water standards, the ban on water use remains in place until more tests are completed.
“The flow out of the breach has decreased dramatically, but has not completely stopped. Imperial Metals continues to work to stop flow out of the pond,” reads an update issued yesterday by the B.C. government.
The cause of the dam breach remains unknown.
7 Comments
Prospector
What were the economic losses in the Mt. Polley disaster?
Thomas
“Its not a matter of if, but when”?
Yeah ok Mr. Expert
Ok so lets close down all mines and eliminate all new mines in development
News flash people everything you have on this earth is because of mining. You want to walk everywhere instead of driving? You want to walk barefoot? You want to grow all your own food and raise all your own cattle without the help of any tools? Do you want to give up all your electronic items? Dig holes in the ground to keep food cool? Cook everything via open fire? Never fly anywhere ever? Never go to the movies?
The world of the “extreme environmentalist” is a complete joke.
Yes there can be issues and PEOPLE & COMPANIES can be blamed but ruling all tailing facilities will fail is a crock. Why does Infomine put this garbage online?
Jim
Ya well, there’s acceptable risk and and then pretending it smells nice when your head is stuck you know where.
Like Northern Gateway, where the fed’s executive intelligence group analyzed that there is a 1 out of 1 chance of a disaster there too, but it will get the go ahead so we can sell to totalitarrianists, that’s a political philosophy like Hitler or Mussolini, and business can make a smidgen more profit in China,instead of democracies in Europe.
Personally I would sooner have my kids eat salmon than have another diamond ring.
Kenneth Viney
Infomine has no class or journalistic integrity to repeat an idiot quote like that one. There are 1,000 tailing dams that have existed for over 50 years and one breeches. Therefore they will all breech. Wise up girl and take notice. I thought you were a tad wiser than that.
Get_a_Life
I don’t understand why people are taking it on the reporter, who is only doing that (AKA reporting) instead of against the idiot who said what he said.
Also, I like the fact that MINING.com is not one-sided and its writers are brave enough to publish stuff the industry won’t be happy with for sure. Bravo!
LAMB
Given the scenario at Mount Polley, If Imperial Metals take the same approach to Tailing storage, it could be a BIG problem for Alaska – BUT it does not have to be so – I have seen successful tailing storage areas completely restored to nature with all precautions to avoid future environmental problems – it just costs money that has to be set aside from Operations to take care of it in the future.
[email protected]
Putting a price on disasters is so inadequate the fish are gone what is that in terms of cost,or they are no longer good to eat just like all the fish around LG 1-2 in northern Quebec as the reservoirs filled the standing timber released it’s mercury into the water. People have to stop screwing up!! For the sake of cost . Granted we need the resources but it will certainly be at the cost of the environment, that you can take to the bank.