The Vancouver Sun reports today that, “A review panel of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is expected by Friday (July 2) to render its report on Taseko Mines Ltd.’s Prosperity copper-gold project, situated on the Chilcotin Plateau about 120 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake.”
“The review panel’s recommendations are expected by Friday and will form part of the package of advice, along with Environment Canada’s interpretation of the review and a report on first nations consultation that will go to federal cabinet for a final decision possibly as early as October.”
“This week (aboriginal leaders who have voiced strong opposition to the project) are leading a walk/ run from Fish Lake to Williams Lake — carrying water from the lake to represent the water that would be drained from the lake if Prosperity proceeds. ‘We don’t believe that using Fish Lake is the only option, as Taseko has been saying in the media. We want to maintain Fish Lake,’ Chief Bernie Elkins, Tsilhqot’in National Government vice-president, said in an interview.”
To write federal environment minister Jim Prentice to tell him that the Schedule 2 exemption to the Fisheries Act that would allow for the destruction should be closed, please go to http://canadians.org/action/2010/schedule2.html.
The transcript (starting at page 280) of the presentation to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency review panel by national water campaigner Meera Karunananthan and BC-Yukon organizer Harjap Grewal is at http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/documents/41940/41940E.PDF. The audio recording of their presentation (starting at the 1 hour 18 minute point) is at http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/document-eng.cfm?document=41852.
You can read more about Fish Lake at http://canadians.org/water/issues/TIAs/teztan-biny.html. All Fish Lake-related campaign blogs have been posted together at http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?s=fish+lake.
The Vancouver Sun article is at http://www.vancouversun.com/Decision+controversial+Fish+Lake+mine+expected+this+week/3214696/story.html#ixzz0sEyTW0HK.
