Hannah Northey and James Marshall, E&E News reporters
Published: Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is expressing concern about mine pollution from Canada. Francis Chung/E&E News

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is calling on the State Department to help stem the flow of pollution from Canadian mines into the northwestern reaches of his home state of Montana.
Tester last week asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a letter to engage with the Canadian government regarding selenium leaching from mining operations along the Elk River in Canada and into Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River in Montana.

The senator warned that the pollution could hamper Montana's way of life and the state's $7.1 billion outdoor recreation economy.

"For decades, mining operations in Canada have caused elevated selenium levels in the transboundary watershed," he wrote. "Efforts to curb selenium contamination have been unsuccessful, and selenium levels continue to rise. Meanwhile, mining companies are proposing new mines without a tested plan in place to control selenium and other contaminants."

Tester has joined the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in calling for the International Joint Commission (IJC) to get involved. Guided by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, the commission helps resolve transboundary water disputes between the United States and Canada.

From hardrock minerals like copper and gold to metallurgical coal used to make steel, British Columbia is home to a thriving mining industry. About 70 miles north of Montana's northwest border with Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia-based Teck Resources Ltd. currently operates four surface coal mines.

Those mines in the Canadian Rockies' Elk River Valley extract metallurgical coal by mountaintop removal. That method, which was once common in Appalachia, produces nitrate pollution through blasting and releases selenium into waterways.

Selenium magnifies as it moves up the food chain, said Erin Sexton, a scientist at the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station. Ingesting too much of the element can harm animals' reproductive organs and can cause deformities in fish eggs.

In March, Teck pleaded guilty in Canada and paid a $60 million fine due to selenium discharges in violation of the country's fisheries law.

Pollution coming from its coal operations were blamed for fish kills and damage in Canada, Montana and Idaho, the Associated Press reported.

Teck spokesperson Chris Stannell said the company is unaware of fish deaths associated with selenium in Lake Koocanusa or the Kootenai River.

"We have spent more than $1 billion so far to implement the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan," Stannell said via email. "Between now and 2024 we plan to invest up to a further $655 million in work to protect the watershed."

In response to transboundary mine pollution last year, Montana set a new limit on selenium in Lake Koocanusa at 0.8 microgram per liter. Lake Koocanusa already averages 1.1 micrograms per liter, Sexton said.

"Which basically says we are violating the Boundary Waters Treaty in the Kootenai watershed, because water flowing in from British Columbia is exceeding our water quality standard," she said over the phone.

Sexton spoke with E&E News yesterday morning before meeting up with the three American members of IJC. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho invited commissioners to discuss transboundary pollution.

Environmentalists in Alaska and Washington are also concerned about transboundary mining pollution. Those states are downstream from numerous gold and copper mines along the border in various stages of development.

British Columbia's lax mining regulations are a barrier to fending off transboundary pollution in the region, said Jill Weitz, who directs SalmonState's beyond borders fishery conservation campaign in Alaska.

Unlike its Pacific Northwest neighbors, British Columbia doesn't require mining companies to post full-cost bonds on the front end to ensure they have enough money for expensive environmental obligations once mines close.

The framework can let miners off the hook for long-term environmental remediation and allows companies to more easily pass cleanup costs on to taxpayers, Weitz said.
"From a mining perspective, our jurisdictions are at a competitive disadvantage because it's easy for companies to mine in BC," she said.

British Columbia's provincial government has been reluctant to crack down on the powerful mining sector, Weitz said. Her organization has been working with Congress, where the issue is bipartisan.

The Congressional Wild Salmon Caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Don Young (R-Alaska) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), hosted a transboundary mining briefing in April.
"I do think there is a willingness to try to make sure ... that the mining that takes place in rivers that go into Alaska waters and Washington waters are done safely," Young said about the Canadian government.

Mitch Friedman, director of Conservation Northwest, said curbing transboundary pollution is a matter of cleaning up the mining industry because copper, lithium and other minerals are key parts of renewable energy supply chains.

"You can't get alternative energy without a mountain of copper," Friedman said.
He advocated for mining policies that reflect the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance. IRMA provides independent certification to verify mines have sound environmental, human rights and social standards.

"We need to figure out how to save the sky without destroying our waters," Friedman said. "We need better mining. We can't be anti-mining. We need to figure this out."

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Hours of net mending, working on engines, tying flies, prepping smoke houses, checking gear, and longer days can only mean one thing…
salmon season is upon us! 
​
While we truly hope this year is better than last, the pre-season forecasts are not looking up.

Our wild salmon stocks here on the Salmon Coast are struggling - and the three rivers that have historically produced 80% of Southeast Alaska’s king salmon - the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk Rivers - will likely be listed as stocks of concern by Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game (ADFG).  Additionally, federal managers expect the Stikine subsistence sockeye fishery may be cut short due to low forecasts, and the Ketchikan salmon derby has been cancelled due to concerns for low king returns.

The Taku, Stikine, and Unuk need your voices!
​On Wednesday, May 19th - show up on behalf of the coastal communities that are at risk of losing everything - and who have not been adequately represented in the fight to defend and sustain our rivers, jobs, and way of life. The State of Alaska has scheduled its first public presentation on this issue during the Dunleavy administration to take place (virtually) with the Province of British Columbia on Wednesday, May 19th at 2:00 PM AKST.
Registration link for the event is here.

If you’re interested in learning more - or would like to discuss some ideas for questions to ask during the presentation - please reach out to Salmon Beyond Borders directly: salmonbeyondborders@gmail.com. And while we’re at it, here is a summary of recent events...

Top Three Updates on AK-BC Transboundary Salmon Rivers

1. Concern over low wild salmon numbers is growing in Southeast Alaska and Northwest British Columbia. 
   - May 11, 2021 KRBD – Ketchikan king salmon derby canceled due to concern over wild fish stocks 
   - April 8, KSTK — Low forecast could mean early Stikine sockeye subsistence closure, federal managers say 
   - November 2, 2020, KFSK – More salmon stock listings recommended for SE AK 
   - March 8, KSTK -- Board of Fish bumps back meeting schedule citing cost concerns, public outcry
   
   
2. A wide variety of groups decried a “smoke and mirrors” report from the State of Alaska and the Province of B.C. ending a water quality program too soon. 
   - March 4, The Narwhal — ‘Smoke and mirrors’: Indigenous groups, conservationists challenge report claiming B.C. mines have no impact on Alaska waters 
   - March 2, Anchorage Daily News — Southeast tribes and fishermen angry over halt to Alaska-Canada water analysis 
   - March 1, CoastAlaska — Tribes, fishermen decry Alaska and B.C. decision to end transboundary monitoring
   
   
3. At the end of April, Salmon Beyond Borders teamed up with Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission (SEITC), Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and United Fishermen of Alaska to update the Alaska House Fisheries Committee with what is going on in our transboundary rivers. Some of the biggest news shared at the event: the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has forwarded SEITC’s human rights petition to the federal government of Canada, and Canada has less than four months to respond.
   -  May 3, CoastAlaska — Human rights panel to weigh transboundary mining concerns

    
Tribes, Commercial fishermen, sport fishermen, business owners, tour operators, and thousands of hard-working Alaskans continue to work together with our congressional delegation, legislators, and municipal leaders toward binding international solutions that will defend and sustain our wild salmon rivers for generations to come. 

As always, thank you for your continued engagement and support, we’re all in this together.

The Salmon Beyond Borders team
Jill, Bre, Heather, and Mary Catharine

The salmon forecast is not looking up for The Salmon Coast. 

The City and Borough of Juneau declared a salmon emergency “after one of the worst fishing seasons on record.” 

• October 26, KINY — CBJ declares salmon emergency

In 2021, Taku and Stikine River king salmon will likely join Unuk king salmon in being declared “Stocks of Concern” by Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 

• November 3, KSFK — More salmon stock listings recommended for SE AK 
• November 30, CoastAlaska — ADF&G: Taku and Stikine kings not projected to rebound in 2021
  
  

In Washington State, a sobering report, released last month, warns that Washington’s wild salmon populations are “teetering on the brink of extinction” with the majority of their runs in threatened or endangered status. The report identifies habitat loss and climate change as significant challenges facing wild salmon. 

• January 20, New York Times – Northwest’s Salmon Population May Be Running Out of Time 
• January 18, US News and World Report – Time Running Out for Northwest Salmon Species, Report Says
  
  

Salmon populations are crashing in B.C. rivers. First Nations are — and have been — working to reverse that decline. 

• December 4, CBC — First Nations try to turn the tide on 'heartbreaking' decline in salmon population
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In a positive step, the B.C. government has given a strong mandate to its first parliamentary secretary (Finn Donnelly) for fisheries and aquaculture. Donnelly also has a mandate to support the new Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resources, Nathan Cullen, to develop a new provincial coastal strategy that better protects marine habitat while growing coastal economies.

• December 7, The Abbotsford News — B.C. government makes big commitments to fish and habitat conservation 
  
  

​Given the state of wild salmon on The Salmon Coast, we must join together in the work to secure international protections for our wild and shared rivers.

In the Taku River watershed, after more than 60 years of contamination, the B.C. government has begun to “inch toward” cleanup of the polluting Tulsequah Chief mine. But since B.C. still has not held Teck Resources accountable as the historical owner,  as it is able to do so under the law, THE question remains: who will pay? 

• November 10, The Narwhal — ‘Step in the right direction’: B.C.’s Tulsequah Chief mine inches toward cleanup as receivership ends
• November 22, Juneau Empire — Tulsequah Chief Mine moves closer to cleanup

Meanwhile, just across the Tulsequah River, mine proponents revealed that they will be renewing exploration aimed at reopening the New Polaris mine. The State of Alaska not only failed to notify Alaskans, it neither reviewed nor commented on these plans, highlighting the inadequacies of the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding between Alaska and B.C. 

• November 24, KCAW — Activity to resume at New Polaris mine upstream of Taku River

Though 47 percent of the Iskut River, the largest tributary of the Stikine River (which American Rivers listed as one of the top ten most polluted rivers in 2019), is already covered with B.C. mining claims, planned operations on that river continue to develop and expand. 

Newcrest Mining, co-owner of the Red Chris mine, is expanding its footprint in the region with two recent large mine claim purchases. Last January, Newcrest Mining purchased over 100 thousand acres with 93 mineral claims near its Red Chris mine, and in September 2020, Newcrest bought into the nearby Red Chris South mining claim. 

• February 5, Mining.com – Newcrest buys land near Red Chris mine from Skeena
• September 8, Mining.com – Newcrest buys royalty on Red Chris South
  
  

On top of making moves to expand ownership of mining claims in the headwaters of the Stikine, Newcrest Mining is starting construction at the Red Chris mine to expand and move toward block cave mining, a type of mining that comes with a high risk of negatively impacting water quality and salmon. This poses significant threats to the Stikine-Iskut watershed and the likely soon-to-be listed Stock of Concern, the Stikine River Chinook. It is clear that Newcrest Mining’s increase in mining claim holdings over the last year is tied to the move toward the expansion of the Red Chris mine.

• February 10, Mining.com –Newcrest gets nod for $106 million construction funding at Red Chris  
  
  

Teck Resources, the original owner of the abandoned Tulsequah Chief mine and owner of the coal mines polluting the Elk Valley with selenium, continues to invest in mining projects near the headwaters of AK/B.C. transboundary rivers. Teck Resources invested $10 million in the Galore Creek mine over two years. A feasibility study completed in 2011 envisioned a mine at Galore Creek producing 6.2 billion pounds of copper over an 18-year span, which would rank as the largest copper operation in Canada.

•  January 6, Mining.com – Exploration tax victory for Teck in British Columbia
  
  

Teck Resources and Copper Fox Metals are revisiting plans for the Schaft Creek mine, in the Stikine River watershed. 

• November 25, Mining North News — Copper Fox revisits Schaft Creek study
  
  

Industrialization of the Stikine River continues as Skeena Resources restarts mining activity at Eskay Creek. 

• September 26, Mining News North – Skeena Resources prepares for Eskay Creek restart
  

The Stikine River isn’t the only watershed in which B.C. is allowing mining companies to expand already substantial footprints without the requirement of local consent or a study of cumulative impacts.  Fifty-nine percent of the Unuk River watershed is covered with B.C. mining claims. 

Seabridge Gold, which plans what would be one of the largest mines in North America at its Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) project in the Unuk River watershed, grew this December.

• December 4, Mining.com — Seabridge grows footprint in BC with Pretivm asset buy 
  ​

Meanwhile, in a continuation of the State of Alaska’s lack of engagement with B.C., Alaska officials did not engage regarding KSM’s request for an extension of its existing Environmental Assessment — despite the fact an extension could allow the mine to use a 12-year-old, outdated analysis.

• December 10, CoastAlaska News — Alaska officials silent on KSM’s request for more time to court mine investors ​
  ​
  

B.C.’s irresponsibly regulated large-scale hard rock and coal mines near the headwaters of transboundary rivers threaten to permanently impact fish and water quality, commercial fishing, sport fishing, tourism, industrial economies, and traditional and customary ways of life in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and throughout the province.

In January, SkeenaWild Conservation Trust and the B.C. Mining Law Reform Network released a new map pointing to over 100 known and potentially contaminated mine waste sites that threaten to pollute waters, fish habitat, and communities across the province.

• January 19, SkeenaWild Conservation Trust – New Map Shows Dozens Of Mine Pollution Threats In B.C.
  
  

Many of these dirty mines are in or near US-B.C. transboundary watersheds. The map highlights the effects of mine pollution at several infamous B.C. sites — Tulsequah Chief, Teck’s coal mines in the Elk Valley, and Copper Mountain — all of which have caused significant water pollution in US-B.C. transboundary watersheds. 

• February 4, The Narwhal – B.C.’s ‘dirty secret’: more than 100 contaminated mine sites threaten water, wildlife, and communities
• January 25, The Tyee –Babine Lake Mines Leaking Dangerous Contaminants into Salmon Habitat, Say Critics
  ​

In Washington state, B.C.’s Copper Mountain mine threatens the transboundary Similkameen River, and widespread concern continues to grow over B.C. mining exploration in the headwaters of the infamous Skagit River: 

• January 15, Conservation Northwest – A catastrophe waiting to happen on the Similkameen River unless we act now
• January 25, Skagit Valley Herald– Potential B.C. mine remains a concern for those downstream 
• January, 29, The Guardian – Opposition rises to Canadian mining plan that poses risk across US border

Montana took a big step forward when it approved stricter limits for the contaminant selenium, which causes deformities and deaths in fish, birds, and other species, for the Kootenai River and Lake Koocanusa. The process of setting the standard took longer than expected, however, because of delays caused by B.C. 

• September 25, Montana Public Radio — Montana proposes new rules to stem Canadian mine pollution
• October 3, East Kootenay News Online Weekly — B.C. stalls on selenium pollution limit for Lake Koocanusa
  
  

In December, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Board of Review finally voted, five to one, to approve those new, stricter standards. The changes come after years of study and with deep support in public testimony. 

• December 12, Flathead Beacon — New Rule finalized to protect Lake Koocanusa from B.C. mining contaminants
  
  

Meanwhile, mining concerns are growing within British Columbia and recklessly regulated mines are a growing liability for B.C.’s politicians. Learning from the situation in Montana and Idaho, selenium pollution from  B.C.’s mines, like the Red Chris mine in the headwaters of the Stikine River and the proposed KSM mine in the Unuk River watershed, is a growing concern along The Salmon Coast.     

• October 20, The Narwhal — The 4 environmental issues in northwest B.C. every voter should know about 
• October 22, The Narwhal — B.C. voters support mining reforms that protect the environment, make polluter pay: poll
  
  

Merrell-Ann Phare and Rob Sisson, Canadian and U.S. commissioners of the International Joint Commission sat down with The Narwhal to discuss their potential involvement on B.C.-U.S. transboundary rivers. 

• November 23, The Narwhal — The Watershed Watchers: In conversation with the International Joint Commission
  
  

Before the end of 2020, the U.S. Congress approved more than $3.5 million for the U.S. Geological Survey to continue monitoring water quality on transboundary U.S.-B.C. rivers. An additional $500,000 for the U.S. Department of State will ensure they lead the U.S. response to B.C. mining along transboundary rivers. 

• January 12, Global News — Alaska demanding action on B.C. mining oversight
   ​

Looking forward, the U.S. President Biden has said climate change is a priority for his administration. However, science makes clear that clean energy cannot be achieved via materials sourced by irresponsibly regulated mining in B.C.-U.S. transboundary watersheds that are home to globally significant wild salmon runs. 

• ​September 1, Nature Communications — Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity
• November 18, The Narwhal — The transition to renewable energy relies on mining. Can it be done responsibly? 
  
  

At least one B.C. developer — though not, as of yet, any in transboundary watersheds — is leading the way in seeking to mine more responsibly. 

• October 6, The Narwhal — In a world that needs metals, how can we mine more responsibly? 
  
  

The call to develop responsibly is also coming from some large companies that rely on mined metals for their products.

• October 21, Greenbiz.com — Microsoft, Tiffany help carve out a new responsible mining standard
  ​
  

Meanwhile, this in-depth piece makes clear that despite big goals, Cascadia (B.C., Washington, and Oregon) has failed to rein in its fossil fuel emissions over the last couple of decades due to an absence of a political will. 

• January 11, The Tyee — Cascadia was poised to lead on climate. Can it still? ​

​

While COVID-19 wreaked havoc throughout Southeast Alaskan communities, BC mines continued development near our shared salmon rivers.

• Taku River: Tulsequah Chief and New Polaris mines
  • Despite nominal efforts to begin cleaning up the abandoned and polluting Tulsequah Chief mine, the BC government has taken no action to hold accountable — Teck Resources — the original owner -  for the at least $100 million total cleanup bill. In Canada, because BC does not require financial assurances, the polluter does not pay, and Alaskans deal with Canadian pollution.
    
    
  • New Polaris is a proposed mine, just a few miles away from the Tulsequah Chief mine, at the confluence of the Taku and Tulsequah Rivers. New Polaris would require 100 barge loads to travel up the transboundary, salmon-rich Taku River each year from Juneau. 
    • The State of Alaska did not review or comment on the plans for renewed drilling at New Polaris. The State also failed to notify Alaskans. 

 

• Stikine-Iskut River: Red Chris, Galore Creek, and Shaft Creek mines
  • BC has staked 47% of the Iskut River, the largest tributary of the Stikine River, for mining.
    
    
  • Red Chris mine: Newcrest Metals purchased over 100 thousand acres with 93 mineral claims near its Red Chris mine (co-owned with Imperial Metals), increasing its footprint in the region. Newcrest also recently bought into the Red Chris South mining claim, located 3 miles from its Red Chris mine site.
    
    
  • Galore Creek mine: Newmont Metals purchased 50% of the Galore Creek project (Teck Resources owns the other 50%). A feasibility study completed in 2011 envisioned a mine at Galore Creek producing 6.2 billion pounds of copper over an 18-year span, which would rank as the largest copper operation in Canada.
    
    
  • Schaft Creek mine is being revisited in a joint venture between Teck Resources and Copper Fox Metals 

 

• Unuk-Nass River: Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell mine project (KSM)
  • KSM mine would rival the size of the proposed Pebble mine in Alaska.
    
    
  • Seabridge Gold, the owner of KSM, has been busy working to secure an extension on its substantially started designation. If granted, this extension will allow them an extra two years, on top of the five-year extension they recently received, to break ground on KSM without updating their permits. 
    • But Alaska Tribes and a B.C. First Nation not only say an extension is not warranted but are calling for a whole new impact assessment for KSM. Salmon Beyond Borders supports these requests.
      
      
  • Seabridge Gold is also expanding its footprint near the Unuk-Nass watershed headwaters with the recent purchase of the Snowfield property, a mining prospect neighboring the site for KSM.
    
    • These recent moves show Seabridge Gold is actively moving forward with the KSM mine while the State of Alaska remains silent. 
      
      

In case you missed it earlier this year, the concern is also rising, generally, about the risk of mine waste (tailings) dam failures.

• August 6, CoastAlaska – Global mine tailings standards rest on voluntary compliance 
• August 20, Science Magazine — Catastrophic failures raise concerns about dams containing muddy mine wastes

We always come back to Mount Polley mine, and the lessons that can be learned from its catastrophic mine waste dam failure in 2014: 
​

• August 11, Juneau Empire — Opinion: We are poisoning our future. There’s a better way.
• August 13, CBC — Contamination from Mount Polley spill continues to affect waterways, study finds

For more information on what we’ve been up to this year, visit our webinars page here.

As always, your continued engagement is what makes our collective efforts possible.
Please take action here and help us defend and sustain our transboundary rivers, jobs, and way of life.

With gratitude,
The Salmon Beyond Borders Crew
Jill, Bre, MC, and Heather