Gingembre's Place: Open Season on Canadian Water

Friday, June 20, 2008

Open Season on Canadian Water

Lakes across Canada face being turned into mine dump sites

Lakes are in B.C., Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, NWT and Nunavut

Bush pilot Doug Beaumont and environmentalist Jim Bourquin fish on Kluela Lake, downstream from the planned dump site for the Red Chris gold and copper mining project in northwestern B.C.

16 Canadian lakes are slated to be officially but quietly "reclassified" as toxic dump sites for mines. The lakes include prime wilderness fishing lakes from B.C. to Newfoundland

Environmentalists say the process amounts to a "hidden subsidy" to mining companies, allowing them to get around laws against the destruction of fish habitat.

Under the Fisheries Act, it's illegal to put harmful substances into fish-bearing waters. But, under a little-known subsection known as Schedule Two of the mining effluent regulations, federal bureaucrats can redefine lakes as "tailings impoundment areas."

That means mining companies don't need to build containment ponds for toxic mine tailings.

"What Canadians need to know is that this year, from March 2008 to March of 2009, eight lakes are going to be subject to being put on Schedule Two, which is just about every mine that is going ahead this year is looking around, looking for the nearest lake to dump its waste into.”

Un. Frickin. Believable!

Time for this government to fall! C'mon, Dion, DO SOMETHING!

2 comments:

Putz said...: my son tony blaze of glory is a dirt conosuer, he is going to a bombing range this weekend because it costs 600 dollars when he pulls his trailer 100 miles, 3 miles per gallon, but he thinks the land, water is to be enjoyed and not to be trashed...so he would champion your causes...he has very well trainned dogs who are manageable in the wilds also; June 20, 2008 at 8:04 PM
DRT said...: Hi Gingembre,

I caught your post about Canadian lakes being turned into dumps and I
thought I'd drop you a line. My name is Thom Duggan and I'm one of the many Canadians working to end this backward plan. So, I just wanted to say hi and thank you, for one.

One of the ways we're going to be trying to keep Canadians involved
and informed on this issue is though the blogging circles in Canada.

I'd like it if you'd agree to join our "blogcorps". It's mostly just a
special list that we'd keep of bloggers, like yourself, who would like updates and alerts about the issue from time to time (no
coverage-obligation, of course). Some bloggers have signaled that they want to get involved more deeply in the campaign, and that's great too.

If you'd like some background information even now on the issue, I can send you a few things. Or if you'd like to get in touch with someone from the campaign, either nationally or in your general area, we'll be able to do that stuff, too (we have a webpage coming soon that will
bring local citizens, bloggers, scientists, and activists
together...more on that later).

We've been blown away by the response online; thanks for being a part of that. Would you like to receive updates from us on this in the future?

Thom Duggan
Coalition to Stop Lake Dumping

thom.duggan [at] gmail; June 26, 2008 at 7:01 PM