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Enforceable water quality standards needed
Letter to the Editor
Selenium poisoning of fish in the Elk River has been a hot topic in the East Kootenay for at least a decade. It’s now grabbed national and international attention, with recent articles pointing out the severe impacts of selenium on the Elk River ecosystem.
Wildsight sounded the alarm on this issue several years ago, but discussions about selenium only came into the spotlight as new mines were proposed in the region.
In 2013 Teck initiated work on the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan and Technical Advisory Committee, to which Wildsight was an observer. The committee was comprised of leading scientists from provincial, state and both Canadian and US federal governments, along with Teck’s staff and contractors. Representatives of the Ktunaxa Nation were at the forefront of the committee. The plan is presently under review by the provincial government.
In the meantime, Teck has implemented a new water treatment facility to deal with selenium from its Line Creek operations at a cost of roughly $100 million, and has committed over $600 million in water treatment facilities in the next five years. However, these investments alone will not solve the growing problem.
Selenium leaches into water from waste rock. This exposed waste rock has been accumulating in the Elk Valley for the last half century, ever since large-scale coal mining began. It might be possible to control selenium leaching from new mines by using expensive water treatment, but the verdict is not yet in.
Long-term leaching from historic rock dumps poses an enormous threat. To its credit, Teck has owned up to the issue and is working toward solutions— but at the same time, both Teck and other foreign companies continue to propose additional mines.
Teck has begun taking action to address the selenium issue and impacts from their mines. This will have to include constructing treatment facilities, changing mining practices so that new waste rock dumps do not exacerbate the issue, and implementing a long term plan that extends beyond the lifetime of the mines. The provincial government must bring forward and implement enforceable water quality standards that are protective of all aquatic life in the Elk River and Koocanusa reservoir.
Wildsight believes that only with a well-planned course of action will selenium be reduced in the Elk River over time. Mining is a major contributor to the local and provincial economy, but it has significant environmental impacts. Wildsight seeks to maintain the world-class wildlife and ecosystem in Canada’s southern Rocky Mountains, and this demands a cooperative effort between communities, government and industry.
John Bergenske ,
Conservation Director, Wildsight
