Article Summary –
Canadian environmental organizations Wildsight and Ecojustice have urged regulators to consider a number of issues associated with the pending sale of a major coal mine near the Montana border. The groups worry that the sale from Teck to Glencore could hinder efforts to remediate land and water pollution caused by over a century of mining in the Elk River Valley, which feeds into the transboundary Lake Koocanusa. The petition also questions the adequacy of the $1.4 billion bond held by the British Columbia government for mine reclamation, as an earlier study estimated $6.4 billion would be required to remove selenium pollution from the valley.
Canadian Coal Mine Sale Could Impact Border Lake
Two Canadian environmental organizations are nudging regulators to consider potential issues that could disrupt a significant coal mine sale near the Montana border. Wildsight and Ecojustice’s petition is a pivotal move that could affect Lake Koocanusa, a boundary-spanning water body polluted for decades by a British Columbia coal mining operation.
These groups express concern that the pending sale of Teck’s coal mining operation to Swiss company Glencore could undermine the remediation of the land and water impacted by over a century of coal mining in the Elk River Valley. The petition seeks to shed light on Glencore’s $9 billion bid for Teck’s coal mines and the potential consequences for taxpayers, the environment, and Kootenay watershed communities.
Wildsight Conservation Director Casey Brennan is concerned that the provincial and federal government are overlooking a massive liability for Canadian taxpayers. The petition presents eight questions to Canada’s Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, probing Glencore’s financial and environmental legacy, the adequacy of the mine reclamation bonds held by the British Columbia provincial government, and the potential burden on taxpayers.
The British Columbia government currently holds $1.4 billion in security for mine reclamation, committing to increase it to $1.9 billion. Nonetheless, a Wildsight study estimates the cost of removing selenium pollution caused by mining in the Elk River Valley at $6.4 billion. Selenium is a chemical element harmful to fish.
Glencore’s Acquisition and Environmental Legacy
Just a week after Glencore announced its intent to purchase Teck’s mining operation, a U.S. Geological Survey report revealed unprecedented selenium and nitrate loading in nearby waterways due to coal mining in British Columbia. By the end of the year, Teck plans to invest nearly $2 billion to reverse these pollution trends and safeguard the watershed’s health. However, Canadian regulators have not yet approved the sale of the mines.
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