PROVINCIAL LIBRARY
PARLIAWENT BLDGS
VICTORIA BC

VANCOUVER (CP)-Mine

\

Millions of gall

tailings ponds in British

. Columbia have failed six times in thelast 10 years and spilled

millions of gallons of wastes, saya a brief prepared by. the

provincial mines ministry,

O

& Jeak and about 10 million gallons of tailings escaped, the

ministry said.

’ Theother failures involved tallings ponds ordamsat mines.

owned by Endako Mines Lid., Giant Mascot Mines Ltd.,
- Lornex Mining Corp. Ltd., Consolidated Churchill Copper

The brief, to be presented at hearings of the provincial
royal commission into uranium mining, says the worst
failure occurred in 1909 at.a mine near Greenwood In south-
central B.C, owned by Phoenix Copper Ltd, The dam sprung

Corp. Ltd, and Brenda Mines Ltd.
The mest recent failure was in 1976 at a Brenda operation
when 3,000 gallons of tailings escaped from a dam during

Spring runoff.

R LAST 10 YEARS | ——
ons of uranium waste spilled

The royel commission heard testimony about dam failures
Wednesday in a paper presented by Elio D'Appoloni, head of
a Pittaburgh consulling engineering company which
specializes in Dam construction.

D'Appolonia said that uranium tailings impoundments:
usually some form of pond and dam-fail far more often than
water storage dams.

He said there is one failure or leak for every 1,000 to 2,000

years of operation for water storage dams, but there is one
incident for every 40 years of operation for uranium tailings
ponds. :

He said tailings ponda fail more often that water dams
because ponds built Lo extremely stringent design standards
are often viewed aa a cost liability by some mining com-
panies. Uranium tailings impoundments are considered to be
4 non-productive cost, D’Appolonia said.

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Thursday, November, 15, 1979

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Volume 73 No. 220

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DEPOT

By JIM COYLE

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP)
— Six firemen went to
hospital early today after
they sucked in a mouthful of
hydrochloric acid lying in a
pocket 60 metres from a
derailed tanker leaking
chlorine.

The firemen, not wearing
fas masks, were examined
by a doctor at the site who
recommended they go to

' hospital as a precaution.

“They walked into a vapor
cloud of chlorine,” an official
said, ‘The levels are much
more intense at the scene.”

The six firefighters suf-
fered watery eyes and
tightening of the chest, but
walked away from the site
under their own power,
Other workers in the area
donned gas masks.

‘Hydrochloric acid, a
highlycorrasive substance,

forms when chiorine mixes

with mipisture, ""- °°

The wind that lifted the
chlorine gas from the
leaking tank car was also
blowing traces of the
chlorine towards Toronto.

A Peel Regional Police
spokesman said the winds,
which had shifted during the
night, were of low velocity
and it was improbable the
gas would reach Ontario’s
largest city, with a down-
town core 20 kilometres
away.

There was little chance
that any further evacuations
would be necessary,

An environment ministry
official said the highest
concentration of chlorine gas
in the air close to the site of a
fiery chemical-train crash
was .06 parts per million,
which is uncomfortable, but
not hazardous. Breathing
about 500 times that amount
for 15 minutes would be
dangerous.

Karl Barnhart, a
superintent of Peel Regional
Police, said he is concerned
about getting evacuees back
into their homes because of
the stress of being uprooted
for four days.

“We want to let the people
back in as soon as possible;
aS soon as it’s safe."

Rhodesian

settlement

e u. e
is possible

LONDON (AP) — Op-
posing parties at the Zim-
babwe Rhodesia talks have
accepted Britain's plan for a
new interim government,
paving the way for a peace
settlement.

Britain announced the
agreement today.

~The talks, which were ar-
ranged by Britain and have
continued for 10 weeks, now
can move tothe final stage of
working out a ceasefire in
the sevenyear war between
government and nationalist
guerrillas in Zimbabwe
Rhodesia, The death toll has

* reached 20,009.

Despite the difficult
negotiations ahead, the
prospect of an end to years of
international ostracism and
conflict is in sight for the
breakaway British colony of
seven million blacks and
230,000 whites,

The final plan calls for a

" British governor to rule

Zimbabwe Rhodesia and
supervise new elections
before ft is granted legal
Independence,

= open Mow. through Sat. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. |

Educator
honored

Ra

Gordon Reld, the principal of John Field Eleniéntary

school in Hazelton, shows a silkscreen print presented
to him at the Gitksan-Carrier Tribal Convention
Friday, Reld was honored for his work in education
and received a standing ovation.

HOTSPRINGS

Resort planned

$1M by 1980-$5 tops-study first

By ED YUDIN
Herald Staff Writer

The provincial
government is looking to
develop the hotsprings at
Lakelse Lake into a high
quality resort facility
with a long-term capital
investment in the neigh-
bourheod of §5 million,
Jim Chabot, the minister
of lands, parks, and
housing, said in Terrace
Wednesday.

However, the plans
announced by the
minister at a press
conference at the Skeena
Socred Association office
were both sketchy and
contingent on cabinet
approval.

Chabot will make his
recommendations to
cabinet in the next thirty
days, based on a report

mada..by. hla ..senior. .

ashistant deputy
minister, Bob Aherns. If
approved, the following
developments will take

place:

- the allocation of $1
million in 1980 as the first
phase of a total capital
investment of around $5
million, The minister
indicated the first project
undertaken would be the
construction of a 25-unit
motel or motor inn.

- the assets presently on
hand at the site will be
disposed of by the pur-
chasing commission. The
present buildings on the

Lumber prices slump

VANCOUVER (CP) —
British Columbia lumber
prices are slumping by as
much as 40 per cent because
of record-high interest rates
and a projected reduction in
North American housing
starts,

Industry sources say mills
in the Interior of the
province are particularly
hard hit as they depend
almost totally on the U.S.
market,

Coastal producers are in‘
better shape, however, as
major offshore markets
remain firm in Europe and
Japan.

Areport earlier this month
published here by Madison's
Canadian Lumber Reporter
says buyers are not buying
and interest rates are rising,

coupled with a seemingly

endless flow of mill
preduction, resulting in a
Shambles in what once was
an orderly marketplace.

And, a -—- Madison
Spokesman said, the
situation has worsened
considerably this week, One
survey reports prices down
from 24 to 40 per cent.

“Prices in Canada and the
US, for the wider widths are
off 30 per cent in some cases
and could slump even
more,” said cne Jumber
trader, attributing the
decline to the high cost of
maintaining inventories and
anticipated lower housing
starts In the U.S.

“It’s costing 16 per cent to
finance, .so obviously
wholesalers are going to
slash their lumber in-
ventories."

Prices of lumber are, ‘for
the most part, coming off
record highs from’ the
summer months and aren't
much different from a year

ago. Industry sources claim
prices for specialty products
are holding their own.

However, prices for

-Sprucepine-fir (SPF), one of

three major wood types
shipped from B,C,, are
slumping up to 40 per cent,
says Madison's report,
quoting prices for 1,000
board feet of lumber to

wholesalers buying in bulk, |

For example, two-by-fours
of SPF are quoted at $210
(U.8.)a 1,000 board feet,

compared with an August
peak of $285. A year ago the
price was $226, :
Falling lumber prices are
prompting housing industry
experts to recommend that
people build their houses
now, despite stratospheric
mortgage rates,
Prospective house buyers
should disregard high in-
terest rates and buy now,
says Ernie Hnatiuk, B.C,
president of the Housing and
Urban Development
Association of Canada.

No negotiations
stand on hostages

WASHINGTON (AP) —
The Carter administration,
with several economic
reprisal cards left to play, is
adopting a tough no-
negotiations stand in its war
of nerves with Iran,

The administration
recalled Ramsey Clark, the
Special envoy who never
made it to Iran, on Wed-
nesday evening, under-

Liberals
win three

By FRANK MACKEY

QUEBEC (CP) -- The
Parti Quebecois was
trounced by the Liberals in
three byelections Wed-
nesday, making six straight
byelection losses since the
party came to power three
years ago today.

The winners called it a vic-
tory for Canadian unity, and
for the “renewed
federalism’ of Liberal
Leader Claude Ryan,

scoring ils unwillingness to
negotiate while Iranians hold
62 Americans hostage at the
U.S. embassy in Tehran.

Following the same policy,
State Secretary Cyrus Vance
flew to New York on Wed-
nesday to dissuade the UN
Security Council from
holding a meeting at iran’s
request and considering
tranian demands for an
international: tribunal to
indict the exiled shah and
force his return to Iran for
trial.

Clark, along with Senate
aide William Miller, was
returning from Istanbul,
where his mission stalled
last week when the Iranians
announced they would not
see him.

A week ago, the adminis-
tration said it hoped Clark
would be able to discuss the

‘release of the hostages and

U.S.-Iranian relations, But
on Wednesday, the ad-
ministration said the
hostages’ release had to
come first.

GIL
HERE?

VANCOUVER (CP) —
Recent seismological
testing near Vancouver
Island and the Queen
Charlotte Islands have oil
firms optimistic that
petroleum can be found
off the west coast of
British Columbia, a top
provincial government
official said Wednesday.

George Leckner,
chairman of the B.C.
Petroleum Corp., said one
of the potential sites {s off
Tofino on the west coast
of Vancouver Island.

The last intensive
exploration off the B.C.
coast, was in the 195¢s
When 15 test wells were
empty.

Leckner said now that
Prime Minister Clark’s
federal government has
agreed to hand over off-
shore mineral rights to
the provinces, jurisdic-
tional and environmental
hurdles that halted oil
exploration off the coast
can be cleared up.

site will be removed or
sold. Chabot indicated
work will start on that
phase as soon as cabinet
approval is forthcoming.

-an allocation of $50,000
for a feasibility study on

the site, to include a plan - -

for phase development
and a closer examination
of the type of structures
to be constructed. Chahot
did not say who would
conduct the study.

While no plans were
announced concerning
the possible development
of a golf course or
greenhouses, Chabot
appeared enthused about
the
possibilities, saying in
time it could rival the
Fairmont Hotsprings
Resort in the southern
part of the pravince.

“Terracé;" in m
opinion, is an area wit
tremendous recreational
potential and has the
potential to become a
destination resort area,”
he said.

Chabot noted the
facilities would be
initially developed by the

government and even-
tually leased out. He
indicated the complex
would remain in
government hands. He
also rejected the notion of
a local committee
structure to oversee
development.

Too much
bull here

EDMONTON (CP) —
Shorly the brahma bull
dropped in for a visit to a
china shop but owner Donald
Wilson didn’t invite him to
Stay,

As a promotion for Wed-
hesday night's opening of a
rodeo, Wilson, general
manager of Reed's China
and Gift Shop, agreed to
Shorty’s visit,

But, as soon as the bull en-
tered a special pen in the
shop and looked around at
the $100,-000 worth of mer-
chandise, he threatened
mayhem. '

A veteran of 10 years on
the rodeo circuit tossing
cowboys, Shorty began
kicking wood shavings in
every direction from his pen,
Somebody had forgotten to
bring along a tranquillizer,

So Shorty’s scheduled 90-
minute visit was abruptly
cut to a few minutes.

“I don't know what hap-
pened," said rodeo official
Sid Garstad as the bull was
whisked away in a trailer,
“Just too much china, I
Quess,””

hotsprings’.

“The government
would be in a stronger
position to consider views
from a broader cross-
section of people by not
having a 50-called board
of directors,” he said.

NP a

OTSPRINGS

Chabot indicated a
cabinet decision on the
hotsprings will be for-
thcoming within thirty
days, though it appeared
approval will most likely
be forthcoming.

perciopmeny!

JIM CHABOT...

Outlined scheme

first move and that’s

scope of the

by the natural springs.

DEVELOPMENT
PLEASES THEM

The announcement by Jim Chabot, the
minister of lands, parks and housing, that the
development of the Skoglund Hotsprings Resort
would be forthcoming has been greeted with
approval by Terrace Mayor Dave Maroney and
Skeena MLA Frank Howard.

Maroney, whomet Wednesday with Chabot for
consultations on the project, says the infusion of
$1 million in 1980 is “a step in the right direc-
tion”. He says he is “quite pleased” despite the
fact “he didn’t really have a plan.” The mayor,
who says his discussions with Chabot were
productive, pointed out the important fact was
that the site was finally being developed and $1
million in new funds would be infused in the area,

Howard, meanwhile, says he’s pleased with
the fact that 'they’re taking a step, making the

disappointment that the federal government
wasn't contacted on the possibility of joint
financing and development. Howard said he has
been in contact with his federal counterpart, Jim
Fulton, who indicated he will contact Elmer
McKay, the federal minister in charge of the
department of regional economic expansion
(DREE). Howard was also critical of the lack of
development

“Pm disappointed that the minister of
agriculture has not studied the possibilities for
commercial horticulture from these hot-
springs,” commented Howard who has ad-
vocated the development of greenhouses heated

Maroney said he understood it would be the
summer of 1980 before real development took
place. Chabot told Maroney it would take three
months to complete a feasibility study, so that a
phase development pian could be drawn up for a
four or five year period.

good.” He expressed

study,

Fire cost $10 million

Eurocan’s Kitimat pulp and paper mill could be

back in operation in 10 da
production estimates now }
A Eurocan spokesman advised that the fire, which

ys, however damage lost

reach $19 million.

broke out at the company's pulp and paper mill in
Kitimat on Monday, was confined to the precipitator
section of the mill’s recovery boller.

However, the spokesman also said that the unit was

using the precipitator unit,

but any such operations

are subject to consent from the pollution control

board, the spokesman said

If this consent can be obtained, pulp and paper
operations could resume within ten days,

The total cost of the fire,

business, could reach $10 million,

including interruptions to
the spokesman said.

completely destroyed, and that it will take up to four
weeks to clear away the damaged equipment and a
further five weeks to install a new wit.

Mill engineering staff and equipment suppliers are
currently studying alternatives available to the mill,
They would like to be able to operate the milk wither

Eurocan has reportedly sent force majeure notices
to its customers declaring its inability to deliver
scheduled orders until the mill's operations can
resume,

Force majeure notices have also been sent to the
eampany's chip suppliers,

eet et