Wildsight news : Mining
British Columbians want mining industry to clean up its mess or pay, survey reveals
‘Clean it up or pay’ — that’s the clear message that British Columbians want to send the mining industry, according to new Wildsight-commissioned polling from Research Co.
Report reveals Elk Valley’s $6.4 billion water pollution problem
A new Wildsight-commissioned report has revealed it will cost at least $6.4 billion to reverse rising selenium concentrations in Canadian and United States waterways due to toxic runoff from British Columbia’s Elk Valley coal mines
Wildsight welcomes Elk Valley water pollution inquiry
Qukin ʔamakʔis/Fernie – Wildsight celebrates the announcement of an International Joint Commission (IJC) investigation into water pollution from British Columbia’s Elk Valley coal mines as the first step towards addressing a complex problem with transparency, trust and respect for Indigenous peoples. “For the communities that call the Kootenay/Kootenai watershed home, and the environments within it, … Continued
The importance of critical minerals should not condone their extraction at all costs
Here in the Kootenays, we have a long history of mining a wide range of materials, including gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc and gypsum. Many of these minerals, like zinc and copper, would very easily fit into most critical mineral definitions.
Proposed Crown Mountain coal mine could fan the flames of selenium crisis
NWP Coal Canada is forging ahead with its plans to build a new metallurgical coal mine in British Columbia’s Elk Valley, a region already plagued with the fallout from an international water pollution crisis.
What Fernie’s water woes mean for Elk Valley groundwater
In early December, the City of Fernie announced it would begin immediately exploring for a new secondary water supply, with workers planning to operate seven days a week until Christmas Eve. Rush jobs and hiring skilled workers to operate without days off is expensive. It begs the question: what exa
This unlucky fern’s love of magnesium-rich soil could be its downfall
On Record Ridge near the town of Rossland, British Columbia, the perfect conditions exist for a very particular plant called the mountain holly fern to grow. This fern grows in just two isolated areas in B.C., and is listed as a threatened species in Canada. The scattered, sporadic nature of its growth is in part … Continued
Teck coal sale highlights water quality costs
In 2022, Teck profited a staggering $6.4 billion from their steelmaking coal mines in southeast BC’s Elk Valley, making up 60% of Teck’s total global revenue. Teck’s coal profits in 2022 doubled from the previous year, making the announcement earlier this week that Teck agreed to sell the entirety of its coal assets for over … Continued
Laws of the land
In late September, British Columbia’s Supreme Court gave the province 18 months to update its Mineral Tenure Act. The decision has significant implications for both reconciliation and environmental protections in the province.