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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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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