News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By LeRae Haynes

Taseko Mines stated on Tuesday that it intends to proceed with a revised Prosperity Mine proposal.

“Although we were extremely disappointed with the federal government’s decision on Prosperity, we accept that decision and we are working to address the concerns raised by the many levels of government involved,” stated company president Russell Hallbauer. “We expect to submit a revised proposal to federal authorities which should address the impact that the Prosperity mine would have on Fish Lake.”

Mayor Cook said at City Council this week that this is good news indeed, and stated today that she feels that this shows Taseko’s continued commitment to the project---a commitment that they originally stated back in November. 

(Photo: courtesy of Friends of the Nemiah Valley)

“I’m looking forward to the new submission and what the outline of what the new project will look like,” she said. “I think there’s a real opportunity, both for the project to go forward and also for it to be a more environmentally respectful project, if Taseko is definitely looking to address outstanding issues in the first proposal.

“It’s great to have that hope, even if it’s preliminary at this time—it’s still good news for the City of Williams Lake.” 

David Williams, President of Friends of the Nemiah Valley said that any new proposal submitted would have to be so radical that it would require a new federal assessment. “I can’t image a way that they could not do damage to the environment and to the local culture,” he said. “I don’t know that they have had any guidance from the federal government in submitting any new proposal.”

He said that some of the concerns held by the Friends of Nemiah include the loss of Fish Lake and the inadequacies of the proposed replacement lake, the immense cultural impact of the project on the area and the impact it would have on grizzly bears.

“We have scientific evidence regarding the impact that the mine would have on bear habitat: evidence that can’t be mitigated,” he continued. “The impact of the project is beyond the relatively small footprint of the actual mine---there would be 500-600 workers, the traffic and off-hours activities of mine workers in the area.”

He said that he was impressed with the quality of the federal government experts present at the public hearings for Prosperity---a battery of people with Phds in their fields. “Their material was extensive and the panel was very thorough,” he said.

In a report for Friends of Nemiah investigating the economic impact of the mine, Dr. Marvin Shaffer concluded that there would be no net benefit to Prosperity Mine, according to David. “Dr. Shaffer found that there would actually be a net loss for the mine, and that any taxes will not be sufficient to cover the cost of supporting the mine,” he said, adding that the significant costs of new hydro developments, the main road and bridge-building, to the tune of many millions of dollars, would be born by the province.

“The other thing that the people of British Columbia will have to pay for is the extensive carbon dioxide impact of the mine,” he continued.   

“There are other options open to Taseko, and maybe that’s what they’re looking at now. In the end, though, it will come down to a legal case. The First Nations have a watertight legal case as far as I’m concerned—if the current land claim appeal is successful, there will be no mine. 

“I think that what Williams Lake should do is ‘re-brand’”,  he said. “Williams Lake is on the edge of the most magnificent wilderness that the planet has to offer, and there are untold possibilities when you learn to work with First Nations governments instead of against them.”   

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