Aaron and Bill sit down with Mitch and Jarred, two experts from the great Northwest, to discuss transboundary mining issues. Numerous mines, and one in particular, in British Columbia threaten people, watersheds, and wildlife in Northwest states, including years of salmon recovery and restoration. We discuss the Copper Mountain mine, the potential for a catastrophic disaster that would devastate downstream communities, wildlife, and fisheries. We also discuss the landscape, the history, and the complications of advocating for responsible development across an international boundary.
Links:
Reports: https://www.cct-enr.com/copper-mt-mine-bcc
Breach animated simulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgwAsdFLHmo
Recording of presentation of simulation study: https://youtu.be/B9jRMCHZwTg
Recording of Emerman presentation: https://conservationnw-my.sharepoint.com/personal/tyler_conservationnw_org/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Ftyler%5Fconservationnw%5Forg%2FDocuments%2FShared%20Media%2FUCUT%20Conference%20%2D%20Resource%20Guide%2FPresentation%20Slides%2F10%20Session%20%2D%20Emmermen%20BC%5FTailings%5FDam%5FCopper%5FMountain%5FRisk%5FPresentation%5FRevised%2Emp4&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Ftyler%5Fconservationnw%5Forg%2FDocuments%2FShared%20Media%2FUCUT%20Conference%20%2D%20Resource%20Guide%2FPresentation%20Slides
More resources: https://conservationnw.org/our-work/wildlands/healthy-watersheds-campaign/
Conservation Northwest homepage: https://conservationnw.org/
Colville Tribe homepage: https://www.colvilletribes.com/
Colville Tribe Salmon Reintroduction work: https://www.colvilletribes.com/fish-wildlife
Colville Tribe Environmental Trust Copper Mountain Mine BCC : https://www.colvilletribes.com/environmental-trust
Show notes:
3:34 – Aaron introduces the guests.
7:24 – Jared shares what he has been doing outside recently.
9:32 – Mitch shares what he has been doing outdoors of late.
13:03 – Jared describes the landscape we are focusing on during this episode.
16:50 – Mitch adds that we are talking about the need and the right for clear, clean, cool, productive rivers that flow across the border.
18:42 – Aaron asks for the description of the fish and wildlife who live on these transboundary rivers.
26:04 – Bill asks for some background on the mines themselves and what makes them such a problem… particularly the Copper Mountain Mine upstream of Princeton, B.C.
30:53 – What are the risks? What are we worried about? What’s going to come out of these places if the dams fail.
41:12 – Should we expect these dams to eventually fail?
43:49 – Jared shares the tribal perspective on transboundary mines.
46:35 – Short break for a message from our partner podcast, Artemis Sportswomen! Also, be sure to follow NWF Outdoors on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter!
47:29 -- What do we want right now to safeguard the wildlife and communities downstream?
52:23 -- What can someone listening to this do to help?
58:18 -- What has the B.C. government said as a response? Are they listening? Is anything happening?
1:01:48 – Mitch shares his closing statements.
1:03:47 – Jared shares his closing statements.
1:06:05 – Bill shares his thoughts.
1:06:44 – Aaron closes the show with some wisdom and thank you’s.
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