Open letter to MLA George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change:
Mr. Heyman:
It is impossible for me to believe there was no legal liability to be found in the case of the Mount Polley Mine disaster.
That the worst mining disaster ever in Canadian history happened accidentally and no legal fault can be found with the owners of the mine is so ridiculous it seems like a sick joke.
Twenty-five billion litres of contaminated materials spilled into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake, a source of drinking water and major spawning grounds for sockeye salmon. According to Mount Poley mine records filed with Environment Canada in 2013, there were “326 tonnes of nickel, over 400 tonnes of arsenic, 177 tonnes of lead and 18,400 tonnes of copper and its compounds placed in the tailings pond” in 2012, and Imperial Metals gets off with no charges of environmental degradation due to failures on the part of the company?
It may be that the NDP has inherited a botched Liberal lawsuit attempt. But, the NDP and Green coalition should remedy this at once and make this company pay for the damages it has caused. Imperial Mines must be made to pay for its lack of proper maintenance and negligence of this mine site.
Did the environmental laws in B.C. fail the citizens? The NDP government needs these laws and what led to this disaster and why no charges will be laid, examined and explained to the citizens of British Columbia.
Certainly what has happened in this instance does not bode well for any future promises the B.C. or federal government might make that industry will pay for any future contamination from mines or, in the case of expanded pipelines, oil spills.
Gale Tyler, Halfmoon Bay
