Trans-Boundary Mining in a Rain Forest: Long Term Impacts to Land and Water. Robert Sanderson Jr. Guy Archibald

Transcription

1 Trans-Boundary Mining in a Rain Forest: Long Term Impacts to Land and Water Robert Sanderson Jr. Guy Archibald

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5 Shtaxʼhéen Ḵwáan Naanyaa.aayí, Kayaashkeiditaan, Sikʼnax.ádi, X ookʼeidí, Kiks.ádi, Teeyhittaan, Taalḵweidí, Ḵaach.ádi, Kaasx ʼagweidí New.k4diU5IlDi-0&usp=sharing

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7 The BC/SE AK Trans-boundary Region Iskut Unuk Taku Stikine

8 Vital Resources for Alaska Dependent on Clean Water and Healthy Habitat Commercial, sport and personal use fishing Customary and traditional hunting, fishing and other activities Recreation Tourism Sport hunting and trapping

9 Salmon in the Trees Rain Forest: Washes out nutrients forest depends on. Millions of salmon fry leave forest year to ocean where they get fat Adsorbing nutrients Then they come back Huge increase in biomass Bears and birds distribute the bodies of the spawned out fish Returning the nutrients to the forest

10 WHY ARE WE HERE? Difference in Values Difference in Level of Public Participation Lack of adequate engagement from Alaska and US Federal Agencies Communities, Tribes, and Fishermen have been left out of the process

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15 Unuk River KSM Mine Photo: Mike Fay

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17 Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell Located near headwaters of Unuk River, 19 miles from AK, just upstream of Misty Fiords National Monument Underground mine and three giant open pits proposed. Tailings dams the size of Hoover Dam for 2.5 billion tons. Unuk is major king and hooligan producer. Nass is 3 rd largest salmon producer in BC. Important goat, moose and bear habitat Significant acid mine drainage potential. Unprecedented water treatment needs; 119,000 gallons per minute In perpetuity water treatment and monitoring of dams needed.

18 3-D of proposed Mine

19 KSM Mine Pit

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21 Mining under a glacier, What could go wrong?

22 Red Chris Mine Owned by Imperial Metals (Mt. Polley) 183 million tons of tailings, 307 million tons of waste rock acid mine drainage treatment in perpetuity. Black Lake tailings dump; long-term risks acid mine drainage will flow to the Iskut River and to Stikine. Photo: Mike Fay

23 Red Chris Development Company Ltd.

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25 Galore Creek Mine Water quality concerns for Galore, Scud, More and Iskut drainages, which flow into the Stikine River. Would be 4 th largest in North America 1.3 billion tons of waste rock and tailings Photo: Mike Fay

26 Schaft Creek Mine 1 billion tons of tailings to be stored along a main tributary of the Stikine River Photo: Mike Fay

27 Modern Mining Low Grade Ore Economy of Scale Volatile Markets Perpetual Water Treatment Unproven Technology

28 ECOMONY of SCALE Loss of Flexibility

29 From The RISK, PUBLIC LIABILITY, & ECONOMICS of TAILINGS STORAGE FACILITY FAILURES Bowker & Chambers July 21,

30 CATASTROPHIC FAILURE Low probability, high consequence Unpredictable, inevitable. An "extremely rare" occurrence, the first in 40 years for mines operating here. Bill Bennett, B.C. Energy and Mines Minister Vancouver Sun

31 Mt. Polley tailings dam failure

32 Canada and BC Environmental Regulations and Oversight Changes to federal Fisheries Act, Navigable Waters Protection Act, and Environmental Assessment Act No long-term, broad scope Cumulative Effects analysis Inadequate bonding, monitoring Permitting not designed for long-term, broad scale

33 The International Fix Boundary Waters Treaty International Joint Commission (IJC)

34 International Joint Commission (established under the Boundary Waters Treaty to solve transboundary water disputes) Why call for an IJC in the transboundary region? BC permitting process won t protect Alaska BC and Canadian laws and processes not strong enough Method to enforce Boundary Waters Treaty Long-term effects over broad scale Precedent set in Montana s Flathead region

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36 THANK YOU! For More Information Robert Sanderson Jr. United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group Guy Archibald,