Southeast Alaska: Canadians & Americans Demand No More Mount Polleys - Tuesday, a large and diverse group of Canadians and Americans called on the British Columbia government to halt the permitting of wet tailings facilities for new and proposed mines in British Columbia.

Photo from Video of Mount Polley Tailings Storage Facility Breach
Courtesy Mount Polley Review Panel

Eighty-seven Alaska Native tribes, members of B.C. First Nations, businesses, prominent individuals, scientists, and conservation groups signed a letter to the B.C. government calling for a shift to newer and safer dry tailings storage technology. This request was based on the Independent Expert Panel recommendations on the Mount Polley mine tailings disaster.

“Wet tailings impoundments are an unacceptable financial and environmental liability now and for future generations,” said letter organizer Monty Bassett. “A failure by the B.C. government to stop further construction of wet tailings storage facilities would be a blatant disregard for safety and its own commitments to adopt Best Available Technologies and Practices. Dry stack is a proven tailings technology. Mining industry complaints about costs fly in the face of the Mount Polley report recommendation that costs should not trump safety.”

The group's concerns are based on recommendations by the Independent Expert Engineering Investigation and Review Panel, which released a report on the Mount Polley tailings failure in January 2015. The report found that unless significant changes are made in the way B.C. tailings dams are designed and maintained, more failures can be expected. The report’s principal recommendation calls for an end to outdated “hundred year old” wet tailings storage and conversion to “dry stack” tailings systems. According to page 120 of the report, “Improving technology to ensure against failures requires eliminating water both on and in the tailings: water on the surface, and water contained in the interparticle voids. Only this can provide the kind of failsafe redundancy that prevents releases no matter what.”

“We cannot afford another Mount Polley, especially at mines like Red Chris or the proposed Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM), which are much bigger and will have more toxic acidic tailings,” said Chris Zimmer of Rivers Without Borders. “Unless there are major changes to B.C. tailings storage, we will soon see more dangerous dams built across B.C. and in the headwaters of major transboundary salmon rivers such as the Stikine, Taku and Unuk. These tailings dumps will be toxic time bombs poised upstream of vital salmon habitat.”

Just days after the Mount Polley Review Panel released its report & recommendations, B.C.’s Ministry of Energy and Mines issued an “interim operating” permit for a wet-tailings facility at the Red Chris mine in northwestern B.C., in the headwaters of the transboundary, salmon-rich Stikine River. The interim permit expires May 4, 2015. The Red Chris facility, also owned by Imperial Metals, is similar to the one that failed at Imperial Metal’s Mount Polley mine in August, releasing almost 25 million cubic meters (6.6 billion gallons) of mine waste water and tailings into the Fraser River watershed. - More...
Thursday AM - April 30, 2015

Alaska: Governor Walker Stands Firm on Passing a Fully Funded Budget Before Legislature Adjourns - Governor Bill Walker (I) responded Wedneday to the Republican legislative leadership’s request to take a two-week break before convening the special session in Anchorage. Governor Walker declined to rescind his proclamation, and held firm that the legislature pass a fully funded budget before gaveling out.

“It is unacceptable to leave the capital city with a budget that has a $3 billion hole,” Governor Walker said. “It’s time to put aside our political differences and pull together for the good of Alaska.”

The legislature adjourned Monday, April 27, with an unfunded budget - eight days after the statutory 90-day legislative session. Governor Walker immediately issued a proclamation convening a special session.

According to the governor, without legislative approval to tap into the state’s savings account established for times of low revenue, the $3 billion hole could lead to a government shutdown in November - which means basic services like snow removal, ferry runs, law enforcement, and payments to school districts would stop.

“Passing an unfunded budget is akin to giving Alaskans a bad check,” Governor Walker said. “It creates uncertainty in business negotiations and hampers the state’s ability to attract new investment. I trust our legislators to do the right thing and work cooperatively to pass through a fully funded budget.”

Wednesday, the Alaska Senate Majority (Republicans) encouraged a handful of Democrats in the minority to be part of the budget solution, not the problem.

“There are two groups of people in this building, those who take this fiscal challenge seriously and those who want to spend more money,” said Senator Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks). “We passed a budget to address the state’s spending problem, but the minority refuses to cooperate unless we keep growing government.”

As a result of low oil prices and excessive government spending, Alaska is currently facing a budget shortfall of $8 billion over the next two years. The Alaska Senate Majority responded to the challenge by passing budgets reducing government spending by almost $1 billion, which passed the legislature with almost 70 percent of the vote.

Despite the huge reductions in spending, the legislature still needs a three-quarter vote in order to use savings to fully fund the budget. Democrats in the minority, however, refused to fund the budget and instead voted against funding education, public safety, health, and welfare of the people of the state. They threatened a government shutdown unless the legislature agreed to increase spending and continue growing government.

“It’s time to stop playing partisan politics and do what’s best for Alaska,” said Senate President Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage). “We can’t kick the can down the road and hope for high oil prices. We have to make the adult decisions today.”

According to the Alaska Senate Majority, Alaska's savings is expected to run dry in as little as three years, unless legislators choose to make the difficult choices before it’s too late.

The Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition concurs with Governor Walker in his call for lawmakers to continue working towards a fully funded budget before taking a break from the special session in Juneau. On Monday, without support from the 13 members of the Coalition, the House and Senate Majorities approved a FY 2016 budget that includes a five percent cut to public education and spending over $3 billion more than available revenue. This flawed budget could result in the elimination of vital state services as soon as August.

“The members of this Coalition are committed to working on the people’s business and putting solutions before politics,” said Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition Leader Representative Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage). “There is not a member in this Legislature that wants to go home more than me. I have only seen my new baby girl for a few hours because of the vital work we are doing here in Juneau. However, I agree with Governor Walker that going home and delaying the work of this Legislature at this time would be irresponsible.”

During the process to develop a responsible budget, the Alaska Independent Democratic Coalition said they repeatedly offered proposals to defer the hundreds of millions in oil company tax credits that results in the state paying out over $600 million more than the state makes from oil production taxes. Rather than accept this common sense solution, members of the Majorities put forward proposals to implement income, gas, and education taxes. Majority members also put forward proposals to fund state government with money from the Permanent Fund. - More...
Thursday AM - April 30, 2015