LandKeepers News Archive
B.C. natives petition to stop mine development
June 25 2009 | News Articles | The Globe and Mail
B.C. natives petition to stop mine development
CATHRYN ATKINSON
Special to The Globe and Mail, Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
The Nak’azdli Indian Band of northern B.C. is attempting to block the construction of a massive gold and copper mine planned for the region through a petition to the province’s Supreme Court.
The $917-million Mt. Milligan mine, 95 kilometres north of Fort St. James, would be the largest project of Vancouver-based Terrane Metals Corp.
About 60,000 tonnes of rock per day would be extracted from the proposed open-pit copper and gold mine.
The company believes the site would yield about 265,000 ounces of gold and 40 million kilograms of copper each year.
The petition filed at the court yesterday states that the Ministry of Mines promised to treat the Nak’azdli as a government entity during negotiations.
However, the environmental assessment element of the project has already been approved and the permitting process begun, which would allow the company to begin activity on the site.
Chief Fred Sam of the Nak’azdli Band said this meant the government had failed to keep its promise and to accommodate their concerns adequately.
Mr. Sam said he wanted the petition to serve as an “eviction notice” to development on the band’s traditional lands.
“We’ve been in discussions for quite a long time, with Terrane and also with the province and, especially with the environmental assessment process, we felt we needed better input,” he said.
He said the basis of his assumption was a new “relationship trust” document that was submitted to Premier Gordon Campbell as part of the province’s recent Recognition and Reconciliation Act negotiations.
At issue, he said, were the level of compensation and environmental concerns. As well as not being shown the details of how much the band would earn from a mineral tax that would be levied on the mine, there were concerns that tailings ponds might leech toxic metals and chemicals into the surrounding wetlands. Local wildlife, including caribou, beavers, grizzly bears and moose, would also be heavily affected.
“And we want to look at the long-term benefits for our community. Right now they are offering some contracts, and we’d probably have to bid for those, and there may be an environmental monitor, and maybe some training. It’s not much, there are needs in our community, like a new school.”
Mr. Sam said the band would be more supportive of the mine if some of its concerns were addressed.
The mine will employ 400 people in what Terrane Metal’s president and CEO Rob Pease called high-paying and high-tech jobs. He said the mine was expected to have a 15-year production life, although this could be extended.
The mine would provide benefits and jobs to the region, including aboriginal communities, Mr. Pease added.
“The action that is now being taken by the Nak’azdli Band, we see that as regrettable. We’re still reviewing some of the details of the petition, but the Mt. Milligan project has been approved by the government of British Columbia, under their environmental assessment office after a rigorous process.”
Mr. Pease said he could not comment on the complaints that led the Nak’azdli to file the petition.
“I know there were lots of consultations, lots of discussions, anyway. Just reading their petition quite quickly, that with regard to their claimed rights of title they feel the government has been inadequate in the consultation.”
Mr. Pease said the project still requires regulatory approvals and finalizing of financing.
Jake Jacobs, a spokesman for the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, said it would be inappropriate for the provincial government to comment while the petition is before the courts.
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