Tribal council demands mine moratorium

NEWS — The Shuswap Nation Tribal Council today (Tuesday) condemned what it called “inaction” in the wake of Monday’s breach of the Mount Polley Mine’s tailings pond near the Cariboo community of Likely, and called for a moratorium on mining and exploration activities in B.C. “before it’s too late.”

The Cariboo Regional District has declared a ban on use of domestic water in the affected area for any reason including drinking and bathing, and provincial officials are investigating the cause of the breach.

As much as five million cubic meters of contaminated water flowed into Hazeltine Creek and other nearby waterways after a tailings-pond dike at the open-pit copper and gold mine burst early Monday.

“We are deeply concerned about the environmental degradation that this man-made disaster will leave in its wake, not only now, but well into the future,” said tribal council spokesman Chief Shane Gottfriedson of the Tk’emlups band.

“When Prime Minister Harper changed the environmental legislation without First Nations consultation we knew it would be only a matter of time before something like this happened.

“We collectively demand action from the governments of Canada and British Columbia to limit the negative impacts of this breach and to ensure that something like this never happens again.”

Gottfriedson said the breach could affect many southern waterways, endangering the health of British Columbians.

“This isn’t just a Secwepemc nation problem, this is a provincial problem,” said Adams Lake Band Chief Nelson Leon. “We must hold all levels of government accountable, as well as the owners of the mine.”

He added, “This is a wake-up call for British Columbians. What does Imperial Metals plan to do?…”

“We must demand a moratorium on mining and exploration activities in our province before it’s too late.”

Gottfreidson said the tribal council is demanding a comprehensive review of safety procedures on all tailings. “There will be no mining within the Secwepemc nation until these demands have been met.”