The Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) Chief and Council are considering legal and direct action after a mine tailings spill at Copper Mountain Mine on Wednesday, December 10th The spill has resulted in toxic waste contamination to Wolf Creek, which flows into the Similkameen River.

“We’ve been there in‐person to inspect the damage to the Wolf Creek, and we are extremely disturbed by the lack of long term plans for containment and remediation to the land and water” said LSIB Chief Keith Crow. “The Similkameen River System is the life and heart of the Similkameen People,” said Chief Crow. “The river is critical to the exercise of our Aboriginal Title and rights.

We have used these areas for traditional purposes and depended on the clean water and grasslands for generations. Government and companies can’t just keep silent when they are allowing our lands and waters to be damaged and our people’s health to suffer.”

“Our membership is also very concerned about cumulative effects. This isn’t the first spill we have had to deal with on the Similkameen River system,” said Chief Crow. The first spill from the Basin Coal mine into the Tulameen River, a subsidiary of the Similkameen River, occurred in August 2013. That spill resulted in 65000 litres of coal slurry waste contaminating the river system. Coalmont Energy has since filed for bankruptcy, leaving questions about the environmental impacts of the spill unanswered.

Neither the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Resources, the Ministry of Environment nor Coalmont Energy and Copper Mountain Mine consulted with LSIB about the effects of the spill. LSIB Chief and Council are calling for an independent inquiry to determine the cause of the most recent spill before mine operations begin again, as well as an environmental review of both the Coalmont and Wolf Creek spills and plans for cleanup and restoration.

source: Lower Similkameen Indian Band.