On August 4, 2014 the wall of a settling pond full of toxic mining waste from the Mount Polley mine broke and allowed a river of toxic sludge into Quesnel Lake in northern British Columbia. On August 6, 2014 I wrote a diary Massive toxic sludge spilled into pristine wilderness. The Mount Polley Mine owned by Imperial Metals Corp. has been closed since the spill and continues to be shut down for maintenance and clean-up. Although many experts say a clean-up is impossible, the heavy metals have settled into the lakes and rivers.
- August 24, 2014, the Health Ministry for the area issued a new ban on drinking water.
- August 26, 2014, David Suzuki weighs in with a Wake-Up Call for Canada's Mining Industry.
- September 1, 2014, Imperial Metals Corp. boosted the original estimate of the spill.
- September 2, 2014 after areal photographs were taken Damien Gillis reported that
Mount Polley spill may be far bigger than initially revealed.
- September 8, 2014 a news conference was held for First Nations and the people of Likely, BC the town near the mine. Some of the residents brought glass bottles full of tainted water from the area.
At the news conference, held at the offices of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, Secwepemc spokeswoman Ms. Manuel called for Imperial Metals to put its other projects – including the proposed Red Chris mine in northwestern B.C., and Ruddock Creek, a development project near Kamloops – on hold while the Mount Polley investigation is under way.
“Many chiefs and people are calling for a mining moratorium until we can address these issues – that there is no proper monitoring of this issue,” Ms. Manuel said, citing what she described as poor oversight of mining operations in the province.
Mount Polley tailings spill effects could last for decades.
Quesnel Lake, into which 24 million cubic metres of water and mine tailings flushed when the Mount Polley tailings dam burst, is one of the biggest and most important sockeye nurseries in the province.
Mr. Holmes said those heavy metals could be a threat for ages.
“I mean they will weep for a long time – decades, perhaps centuries – at the bottom of the lake. They will mix with the water column and get into the food web, first of all through zooplankton and phytoplankton, which are eaten by sockeye smolts … then up the food chain that way.”
Mr. Holmes a fisheries biologist claims the adult fish seem fine; they have been swimming around the plume in he lake. The heavy metals have sunk to the bottom of the lake by now. That doesn't mean that the lake is safe for fish. The First Nations downstream have closed down their fisheries after catching what looked like sick fish.
Stephen Hume: Political fallout from Mount Polley mine spill may come from U.S.
Heads-up, here comes the political fallout from that huge tailings dam spill at Mount Polley.
The provincial government still doesn't appear to grasp the gravity of what this accident means in terms of real politik and the albatross that ideologically-driven environmental deregulation may yet prove for its resource strategy.
But consider the toxic plume of disbelief wafting across the border from Alaska.
The political fallout from the Mount Polley disaster is affecting the Red Chris mine on the border between BC and Alaska. For good reasons, a coalition across the border in Alaska is sceptical of the BC government's mining agenda. They are aware of Canada's Federal and Provincial environmental deregulation and have asked Secretary of State John Kerry to intervene. The International Joint Commission responsible for Alaska/BC border is composed of 2 Canadians and 3 Americans. The Canadians are hand-picked PM Harper cronies, pro industry with no environmental background. The Americans, appointed by President Obama, are all environmentalists. I would love to sit in on one of their meetings.
I support the March September 21 although I will not be able to attend. We need to march to show the world that we will no longer accept ecocides like this. That we will not allow industry and the 1% to poison our water and our air. We don't want to heat up our atmosphere for greed and profit.
In Canada David Suzuki is starting The Blue Dot movement, September 24. It will feature a coast to coast tour. I'll be going to the November 9 event in Vancouver featuring Featuring: Neil Young, Feist, Barenaked Ladies, Hey Ocean, Margaret Atwood, Raine Maida, Raffi, Shane Koyczan, Robert Bateman, and Wanting Qu.
A Climate Week that Changed Everything
Environmental activists protested in outrage at the climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009, when President Obama showed up and derailed the U.N. negotiations by holding closed-door meetings with the world’s largest polluting nations. Back then, the United Nations responded by ejecting the activists. The U.N. climate negotiations are held around the world, but always in tightly secured convention facilities, far from people most directly impacted by climate change, and far from the sight and sound of climate activists who converge at the summits, hoping to pressure the negotiators to reach a deal before it is too late.
Just days before Ban Ki-moon’s invite-only summit next week, a broad coalition will hold the People’s Climate March, expected to be the largest march addressing climate change in history. People from all walks of life will gather on Central Park’s west side on Sunday, Sept. 21. Organizers expect over 100,000 people. More than 1,200 marching bands have been confirmed.
People will march in “blocs.” At the front of the march, “Frontlines of Crisis, Forefront of Change” will include indigenous and other communities directly affected by fossil-fuel extraction and the impacts of climate change. Organized labor and students will march under the banner “We Can Build the Future,” followed by “We Have Solutions” — alternative energy and sustainable food and water groups. The “We Know Who Is Responsible” bloc will highlight fossil-fuel corporations, banks and other polluters. Scientists and interfaith activists will comprise “The Debate Is Over” bloc, followed by the final, all-inclusive bloc, “To Change Everything, We Need Everyone.”
Sign up For the People's Climate March Now!
New York City, Sunday, September 21
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Just three days remain until the historic Peoples' Climate March. The September 21 March is being held two days before the UN Climate Summit, where government and corporate leaders will convene to discuss taking action to address climate change.
Estimates project over 250,000 will march in New York City, with huge marches also scheduled around the world. Over 1000 groups and organizations are participating.
Join the PCM Sprint on Twitter #PeoplesClimate and help amplify the messaging.
Sign up here!!! --> People's Climate March