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BRITISH COLUMBIA
‘Mcinemey review of Amax dumping

‘nothing but waste of public funds’

Dr. John MclInerney’s review of

: the dumping of mine tailings by the
‘Amax molydenum mine for the

federal government, ‘‘didn’t ac-
Complish a thing except waste a lot
of public funds,”’ acting Nisgha
tribal council president Rod Robin-
son charged at a press conference
Tuesday.

Robinson slammed Mclner-

‘Ney’s report, released Monday, as

Merely ‘‘an internal review’’ and
repeated the Nishga’s longstanding
demand for a full public inquiry
With the powers of subpoena and
CrOss-examination.

“Only then will our fears be put
to rest,’’ he added.

The main recommendation of

_ the McInerney report was to dump

Wastes deeper into Alice Arm by
adding 150 metres to the length of
the outfall pipe. He claimed that by
Carrying the waste tailings to a
depth of 100 metres from their cur-
Tent 50 metres, their environmental
Impact would ’be minimal.
Robinson, along with two other
Members of the Nisgha tribal coun-
Ed Wright and Norman
Leeson, UFAWU business agent
Bill Procopation, and environmen-
tal consultant Ross Peterson were
On hand to denounce McInerney’s
tecommendations and to release a
page Environmental Review of

Amax Marine Tailings Disposal »

Prepared for the Nisgha by Peter-

- $On’s firm Howard Paish &

Associates.
Peterson said that McInerney’s

reporteould not take the place of a »

full environmental impact assess-
ment, which would include “‘a
baseline survey that would take in-

. federal gov-

cy RE os
NORM LEESON ..
ernment ‘prepared to sacrifice
the entire inlet.’

to consideration the full range of
likely impacts from all facets of the
Kitsault operation,’’ a thorough
description of the chemistry of the
tailings process and their dilution in
water, and a comparative analysis
of land and marine disposal alter-
natives.

MclInerney’s suggestion that a
full impact study be done ‘‘next
time,’’ was vehemently rejected by
Peterson. He said that McInerney
had provided ‘“‘no conclusive evi-
dence’’ that there would be no ad-
verse effects from the marine dum-
ping on the food fishery, key mar-
ine organisms and consequently,
on the health of the people, mainly

and fished in its waters.
’ “J question the government per-
mitting process which essentially

places the burden of proof on the -

the Nisghas, who lived'in the area

Nisgha’s and others to show harm-
ful effects, rather than on Amax
to demonstrate no effect.’’

Of great concern to the Nisgha
are the concentrations of arsenic,
copper, lead, zinc, cadmium and
radium 226 contained in the mine
tailing. Peterson’s report noted
that cadmium, for instance, enter-
ing the human diet is of ‘‘great con-
cern, as it can behave similarly to
mercury, resulting in toxic effects

*~ and genetic problems.”’

Procopation challenged the
‘thonesty of the process’’ involved
in the federal review panel headed
up by McInerney, when McInerney
was a colleague of Dr. Jack Little-
page at the University of Victoria’s
biology department.

Littlepage was hired as a consul-
tant by Amax, and the federal
government’s decision to pass a
special set of disposal regulations
allowing Amax to dump 8,000
times the amount of mine tailings
set out in the fisheries act, was
largely based on Littlepage’s
“‘background”’ Shee
study.

“McInerney says that there isno
immediate danger, but that long-
term studies are needed,’’ Pro-
copation added. ‘‘He admits that
these tailings will disolve and
spread, and if they do settle, they
will have an adverse effect on the
marine species.

‘‘Then he turns around and says
that Amax is complying within the
Alice Arm Tailings Disposal
Regulations. But who made them .

up?

“‘His only solution is just to add
on another 100 metres to the end of
the outfall pipe.” c

Robinson went further. ‘‘If the
permitting authorities go with
Mclnerney’s recommendations, it
means they will be going for an in-
creased relaxation of the regula-
tions, not a tightening up.

‘Because McInerney has said
that Amax has done all they were
required to do, and further,
because he has acknowledged that
the mine tailings won’t stay settled
at the bottom of the inlet, then the
implication is that a little more
relaxation of the regulations is
needed.”

The Nisgha spokesmen also
pointed out the “‘great potential’’
for mines in the Nass Valley area,
adding that because the federal and
provincial governments allowed
Amax to by-pass existing regula-
tions, other mining companies will
be able to cite the Amax precedent.

.“That’s why they eased the
dumping regulations for Amax in

the first place, and seem prepared

to sacrifice the entire inlet,’’ Leeson
said.
_ “With so many mines to be
opened up in the Nass Valley, we
feel like we are being made the
guinea pigs for some gigantic ex-
periment of exploitation.”

He also said that he didn’t doubt
that the “‘tremendous support the
Nisgha was receiving across the
country and internationally”’

~ would. continue.

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AUG. 16 — COPE Garden Party, 2
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Dinner, refreshments, entertain-
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lawnchairs. In case of rain, it will be
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Barbecue at the Legebokoff's,
3310 Cardinal, Burnaby. Con-
tests, swimming, food, prizes
and refreshments.

AUG. 23 — Annual YCL Volleyball
Tournament will be held in conjunc-
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Those who want to set-up teams or
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Donalda at 684-4321. —

AUG. 23 — SUMMER LABOR
PICNIC — 12 Noon — John Hen-
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fine afternoon. If raining, picnic will

move inside the Trout Lake Com-:

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Picnic, Websters Corners Hall.
Celebrate 60 years of the Commun-

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OAP meet

‘positive’

Hamish MacKay, OAPO
board member, Burnaby,
writes: There weresome positive
results which came out of the
Old Age Pensioners’ Organiza-
tion convention, that are of in-
terest to all those concerned
about the welfare of senior
citizens.

There were 131 delegates and
some 80 visitors at this year’s
convention, held June 17 and 18
in Nanaimo. There was an in-
formal part to the convention,
with a banquet, hosted by the ci-
ty of Nanaimo and several
OAPO branches, and an ad-
dress by federal health and
welfare minister Monique
Begin, but there was also a
serious part which dealt with
many resolutions addressed to
the federal and- provincial
governments.

Many people don’t always
see it that way but the action
resolutions are the main reason
for the organization’s existence.
In fact, some branches have
folded up because they could
not see the reason for organiza-
tion.

The resolutions at this year
covered many issues, from
organizational resolutions to
those opposing the use of
dangerous pesticides. Other
resolutions called for:

e@ Anincrease in the federal old
age pension to $300 per month,
indexed to the cost of living;

@ Action by the provincial
government to keep medicare
“as is’’ with no extra-billing by
doctors;

@ Increased construction of
senior citizens’ housing together
with increases in SAFER
(Shelter Aid for Elderly
Renters) grants and increases in
the ceiling for rent-controlled
apartments.

These things obviously won’t
come on a silver platter and we’ll
have to work hard to.achieve
them.

I think we are going to have
an interesting year and I believe
the new executive board which
includes three new directors,
will act on these issues. We
welcome your input.

Club kudos

Agnes Jackson, secretary,
Club, writes:
Please allow me in this space to
| extend congratulations to the
members of the Correspond-
ence Club on whose behalf I ac-
cepted the provincial shield at
the Tribune’s victory banquet.
June 21.

Most of the members are old
timers, men and women, whose
devotion, unfailing enthusiasm
and confidence helped once
again to ensure the success of the
drive.

In paying tribute to the club’s
achievement, special mention
should be made of Merv Shoe-
bottom and Gerry Delaney,
both of whom donated $1,000
to the financial drive.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 31, 1981—Page 7