Tsilhqot’in set to declare site of New Prosperity mine a tribal park
– Vancouver Sun (September 11, 2014)
“…. the mine would result in the loss of Little Fish Lake to a 12-square-kilometre tailings pond and contaminate nearby Fish Lake and the upper Fish Creek system.”
Based on this article, Taseko Mines Ltd. will not be running their “New Prosperity copper-gold project” any time soon. The $1.1 billion project has come to a halt due to the Tsilhqot’in people ardently opposing the idea of a mine being built near the lake. Fish Lake is not legally recognized as First Nation property, but the natives “have now folded the mine site into the tribal park boundary.”
Taseko should have been expecting some opposition from the Tsilhqot’in if they had done some serious research of the surrounding areas. The fact that they had originally planned to destroy the whole lake proves that being environmentally friendly is not part of their value proposition. It would be unusual if they did, being the large mining company that they are, but it does not mean that it is impossible for them to have a hand in protecting the environment. As Dave Williams suggested, Taseko could plan for smaller-scale activities such as “sustainable logging with portable mills… to provide employment for natives.”
True, being environmentally safe does not mean that Taseko will be able to make much profit. But carrying out such a large-scale project without some kind of restriction on how much damage they could cause would seriously harm the sustainability of the ecosystem and the lives of those who depend on the natural cycle of the habitats within. Even if the damage is minimal, it would contribute to the total amount of contamination and pollution on the earth in the long-run. If Taseko cared about the environment, they would create a third proposition that would involve collaborating with the Tsilqot’in in keeping the many stakeholders safe.