Mining company given OK to release more tailings water from Mount Polley mine

First Nations people who are still feeling the impacts of a catastrophic tailings dam breach are speaking out against a permit that will see more mine effluents released into a nearby lake.

The B.C. government granted Imperial Metals the two-year discharge permit for the Mount Polley mine northeast of Williams Lake in order to avoid overflow from an open storage pit.

The permit will allow the company to release tailings water below the surface of Quesnel Lake through a pipeline.

The provincial ministry of environment said in a statement that the tailings water will be treated and must meet its quality guidelines before it is discharged.

But statements from the Secwepemc and Tsilhqot’in people expressed outrage and concern over the decision.

Tsilhqot’in National Government Tribal Chairman Chief Joe Alphonse said salmon stocks are still at risk after a massive tailings breach in 2014 that gushed millions of cubic metres of mine waste and water into area lakes and streams, considered the worst mining tailings disaster in Canada’s history.

“The Mount Polley project is in Northern Secwepemc territory, but the downstream effects of the dam breach and any effluent are felt by the Tsilhqot’in Nation,” Alphonse said.

“We are still waiting to see if the disaster will have a long-term detrimental effect on the smolts and rearing of salmon in Chilko Lake.”

The Tsilhqot’in National Government is concerned that the water will only meet quality guidelines, because it will be diluted once it reaches Quesnel Lake.

Secwepemc activist Kanahus Manuel said the lake is sacred to her people and “at threat once again by the same negligent mining company.”

Her statement called the permit process “flawed and illegal” and said Secwepemc people are “outraged” as there has been no consultation with the area’s Indigenous people.

But the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council said Manuel’s statement does not represent its interests and that the Williams Lake and Soda Creek Indian Bands have taken on a stewardship role on behalf of the Northern Secwepemc people.

The B.C. government reiterated that the permit was granted after “extensive engagement” with the two bands, as well as a consultation process and technical review.

The permit’s approval was the second of three steps Imperial Metals must take in order for the Mount Polley mine to keep operating. The company next must submit a longer-term water treatment and discharge plan by June of 2016.

Tsilhqot’in National Government Vice-Chairman Chief Roger William said he is “very concerned” about the permit and believes that the provincial approach needs to change.

“This sets a bad example both on the national and international stage,” he said.

“Regardless of political pressure, rigorous scientific studies must be completed and communicated effectively in order for our people to trust decisions that may impact our food sources and ways of life.”