LETTER — ‘Conversation’ on Ajax mine proposal is selective

LETTER — Of course KGHM Ajax’s donation to the Kamloops Area Preservation Society (KAPA) crowdfunding campaign was disingenuous.

It was a publicity grab, as the Ajax PR employees certainly would have known that KAPA, for ethical reasons, would not accept the money.

Had Ajax been sincere about wanting “to ensure only that the community had the resources to engage unbiased experts” (KGHM Ajax reply to “Ajax opponents will return $5,000 donation from KGHM,” The Armchair Mayor News, 25 May 2015) it would have made an anonymous donation.

KGHM Ajax is known for its disingenuous gestures.

Its commitment at a City Council meeting a couple of years ago to release studies as soon as they were done, but now Ajax whines, “We’re disappointed that those speaking out against the Ajax Project prior to the release of any studies . . . “(see previous source) which means wait until the application to EAO is made.

The “conversation” it wanted to have with the community but, instead, has only been held with a few select businesses and community members that support its project.

To all business owners, City councillors and Kamloops residents, whether they support the mine or not: don’t be distracted from KGHM’s primary purpose, which is to operate an open-pit mine in Kamloops only to make money, and let’s not be blind to the facts that are already known.

The proposed mine is upwind of the city, ensuring the prevailing southwest winds will carry the dust, diesel fumes and fine particulate matter, containing toxic substances common to the rock that make up our hills, will be blown into and throughout Kamloops.

The open pit where blasting will occur is situated over an aquifer and is part of the unstable Aberdeen hillside.

And accidents will happen, whether caused by poor planning, such as the Mt. Polley tailings pond breach for example, or unforeseen events, such as pockets of toxic gases locked in the rock and blasted free, or mistakes, or human error.

We don’t have to be scientists to know these things.

Mitigation, scientific studies, rules, and regulations are no guarantee against significant risks to the health and safety of Kamloops and its residents because the Ajax mine is TOO CLOSE!

TRISH KEEGAN

Kamloops