(SitNews) Juneau, Alaska - On November 6 the British Columbia (B.C.) government issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) “for the development of a Remediation Plan that will enable the mitigation of contamination from the Tulsequah Chief Mine.”

“It’s encouraging to see the B.C. government moving to take over responsibility for the mine,” said Chris Zimmer, Alaska Campaign Director for Rivers Without Borders. “Two companies have gone bankrupt trying to re-open this mine, both leaving a significant acid mine drainage problem in the Taku watershed, the transboundary region’s top salmon producer. Permanent mine closure with full reclamation would be the best and most cost-effective solution to the Tulsequah Chief issue and we urge the B.C. government to adopt such a plan, as opposed to partial interim measures such as on-site water treatment.”  

This move by British Columbia comes about a month after bankrupt mine owner Chieftain Metals and its main creditor West Face Capital missed yet another deadline on October 8 when they failed to provide a  revised mine cleanup plan for the abandoned Tulsequah Chief mine to B.C. West Face did provide a cleanup plan in September but it lacked timelines, costs and a plan to deal with the large amount of toxic sludge produced by water treatment.  B.C. found the plan inadequate and ordered a new one.  Neither West Face nor Chieftain Metals is now expected to submit an adequate new cleanup and remediation plan.

“The original West Face plan was lacking in three major areas and B.C. was right to reject it. Given the failure by Chieftain, and its predecessor Redfern, to conduct any successful cleanup efforts, it’s good to see B.C. taking the first steps toward taking on responsibility for mine remediation,” said Zimmer. “Tulsequah Chief simply isn’t a viable mine, and it’s encouraging to finally see  B.C. stepping in to take over responsibility, rather than hoping for a mining company to re-open the mine and clean it up.”

Recently the Douglas Indian Association (DIA), the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) and the Governor of Alaska have written letters expressing frustration with delays and demanding that B.C. ensure a prompt and complete mine cleanup. 

• On September 20, TRTFN wrote to the B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, “We urge the Province to act immediately and decisively to address this issue…the TRTFN seeks immediate and full remediation of this site…” 
  
  
• On October 31, Alaska Governor Walker wrote to B.C. Premier Horgan, “I again encourage the Province to do everything you can to expeditiously gain control of the Tulsequah Mine site, stop the unpermitted discharges, and fully remediate the site.”  
  
  
• On September 24, DIA wrote to the Alaska governor’s office, “For 20 years, instead of enforcing the law and halting the illegal pollution, B.C. hoped a new mining company would re-open the mine and eventually clean it up…It appears B.C. now realizes the Tulsequah Chief is not a viable mine and its strategy of awaiting a company to operate and eventually clean up the mine isn’t going to work. B.C. is now saying some encouraging things about the mine cleanup, but what is needed is real, on the ground cleanup actions.”

“There is widespread opposition to the Tulsequah Chief on both sides of the border and increasing demands for both an end to the long-standing acid mine drainage and a full closure of the abandoned mine. It’s good to see this recognized by B.C., which noted in the RFP that ‘the Province is committed to finding a permanent resolution by remediating the risks.’ B.C. needs to enforce the law, be a responsible neighbor and protect salmon by ensuring a prompt and full cleanup and closure of Tulsequah Chief,” said John Morris, Sr. of the Douglas Indian Association, a federally-recognized tribe whose members originate from the T'aaku Kwáan and A'akw Kwáan clans which have inhabited the Anax Yaa Andagan Yé (Douglas) and Dzantik'i Héeni (Juneau) region since time immemorial.

The Taku River is usually the largest salmon producer in the transboundary region. The Tulsequah Chief mine has been discharging toxic acidic wastewater into the Taku watershed ever since it was first abandoned in 1957.  Despite numerous calls for cleanup the pollution has been allowed to continue unabated by previous B.C. governments.  The Tulsequah Chief mine is located immediately upstream of important salmon spawning and rearing habitat.  A new mine proposed at the same location has no visible support and has widespread opposition on both sides of the border.  

On the Web:

Request for Proposals (RFP) “for the development of a Remediation Plan that will enable the mitigation of contamination from the Tulsequah Chief Mine.”

 

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Douglas Indian Association
Juneau, Alaska

Rivers Without Borders
www.riverswithoutborders.com

 

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