selenium pollution
Credit: tinabelle/BigStock photo ID: 30407411
Canada and the US tackle mine pollution with an international study
After years of advocacy by the Ktunaxa Nation, Canada and the U.S. have agreed to an International Joint Commission inquiry into pollution from southeast B.C.'s Elk Valley coal mines.
In short:
- The inquiry aims to address contamination affecting the Elk and Kootenay rivers, with a focus on selenium's risk to aquatic life.
- Efforts include forming a governance body and a two-year study to develop action plans and understand the pollution's impact.
- Teck, the mining company, has invested over $1.4 billion in pollution mitigation, but selenium levels remain a concern.
Key quote:
“I am glad to see that the U.S. and Canada are finally taking their commitments to Indigenous Peoples, the environment and the international Boundary Waters Treaty seriously.”
— Gary Aitken Jr., vice chairman of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
Why this matters:
The initiative represents an important step toward addressing a century-long pollution issue in southeast B.C., focusing on health outcomes and the environment. Coal extraction and coal burning pollutes the planet and threatens ecosystems in myriad insidious ways.
Keep reading...Show less
| BigStock Photo ID: 468597779 |
| Copyright: timofeev |
Will B.C. now support international inquiry into coal mining pollution?
As Canada and the U.S. negotiate an approach to address ongoing pollution from the Elk Valley coal mines, B.C. has signalled limited support for involving an international commission.
Bureau of Land Manageme/Flickr/Public Domain
$1.2B in, Teck has barely tackled pollution problems
The mining giant’s water treatment facilities have been plagued by delays and unexpected water quality issues.
BC NDP/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowed
When a former premier joins a coal company: unpacking John Horgan’s jump to Teck’s Elk Valley board
The former premier is already taking a defensive posture in his new role, swatting down the would-be criticism of environmentalists. But for anyone watching the disaster of selenium pollution unfold in the region, there’s room for legitimate concern.
Newsletter
WildEarth Guardians/Flickr
B.C. and Teck pressured the feds not to investigate coal mine pollution: documents
For a decade Ktunaxa Nation has been calling for a Canada-U.S. body to investigate coal pollution. New records show the B.C. government and Teck Resources lobbied against it
Spend A Day Touring, LLC/ Flickr
How Teck Resources' coal mines threaten fish from B.C. to Idaho
Selenium from a string of Teck Resources' mines in southeastern B.C. is projected to contaminate the transboundary watershed connecting Canada to the U.S. for centuries to come.
Alberta court to Australian coal baron: you lose
Unfairness complaints filed by mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s firm and two First Nations were rejected.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
