International Rivers of The Salmon Coast & Beyond

September 1, 2020 - February 12, 2021

Despite last year’s many challenges and an unprecedented start to 2021, our collective work to address the threats posed by British Columbia mines along international transboundary rivers hit several significant milestones in recent months. Just below, we’ve compiled the highlights from last fall through the start of this new year and -- if you’re up for it -- we hope you’ll read along for a deeper dive into the efforts to defend and sustain the world-class transboundary rivers of The Salmon Coast and beyond.

“If the salmon does not survive, there is little hope for the survival of the planet.”
– Mark Kurlansky, Salmon

Photo by Troy Moth

 Wild Salmon of The Salmon Coast

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.

B.C./Alaska: The Taku River Watershed

Photo by Mary Catharine Martin

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

B.C./Alaska: The Stikine-Iskut Watershed

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
  

  B.C./Alaska: The Unuk River Watershed

Photo by Travis Rummel

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 
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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 ​
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Overarching Transboundary Mine Waste Concerns

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
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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
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  Responsible Mining is Key to a Clean Energy Future
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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
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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? ​

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​As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read this update. We appreciate your ongoing support as we continue to push for international solutions to address the international problem of Canada's risky large-scale mines threatening these iconic transboundary rivers and the ways of life dependent on them. Please reach out to us anytime with questions, ideas, and your very own stories - we’d love to hear from you!

We’re all in this together.
Gunalchéesh / Háw’aa / Thank you,
Bre Walker and the Salmon Beyond Borders Team