Siera Club BC Welcomes Scathing Federal Review of New Prosperity Mine

Sierra Club BC welcomes the CEAA review panel report, which found that the proposed New Prosperity mine would have “significant adverse effects” on fish and fish habitat, water quality, Aboriginal use and the South Chilcotin grizzly bear population.

“We’re delighted for Fish Lake, its trout population and health of the surrounding waterways and fish habitat. Teztan Biny is a sacred place to the Tsilhqot’in, and we congratulate the Tsilhqot’in National Government on getting a step closer to full recognition of their rights and title,” said Sierra Club BC Executive Director Bob Peart.

“This review is every bit as scathing as the first one in 2010, which led to the rejection of the project by the federal government. We’re glad to see that the panel has listened to concerns raised by the federal and provincial government experts at the hearings, and fully expect that the final decision by Minister Aglukkaq will again be a sound rejection of this destructive project.”

“The project would utterly destroy a complex and healthy ecosystem. Turning a pristine, productive lake into an aquarium and putting it on indefinite life support is unthinkable not only for the Tsilhqot’in but for every British Columbian who values clean water and healthy fish.”

“Only a decade ago, such an obvious outrage would have been eliminated at the outset because we had the Fisheries Act, the Navigable Waters Act, that protected our fish and our waterways. Now that the Harper government has gutted the legal protections for the environment, it’s a free for all, which serves no one – not the citizens, not the business community, and certainly not the environment and the wildlife that live there.”

Contact:

Bob Peart, Executive Director, 250-386-5255 ext. 249

Ana Simeon, Acting Communications Director, Cell: 250-891-8245