Acknowledging it is a “polarizing and divisive issue in Canada,” the Wrangell Borough Assembly will proceed “somewhat cautiously” in drafting a resolution on mining in the Stikine River watershed, Borough Mayor Steve Prysunka said.
“Of course, we don’t want salmon impacted” by mining, he said. “We’re actually uniquely positioned, we’re at the outflow.”
The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission has asked the Wrangell assembly, and other elected bodies in the region, to adopt a resolution calling for a pause on new mining permits, amendments to existing permits and approval of new projects in the vicinity of any of the three transboundary rivers that flow into Southeast: The Stikine, Taku and Unuk.
The commission’s resolution also calls for a ban on tailings dams to hold mining waste rock. The advocacy group believes the dams present a risk to salmon habitat.
The borough assembly considered the commission’s request at its Sept. 14 meeting, and directed Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen to draft new language for the assembly to review.
“We want her to be tactful,” Prysunka said of “customizing” the resolution to address Wrangell’s concerns.
And while protecting salmon habitat and water quality is key, the mayor said, he also appreciates that mining operations in British Columbia generate jobs.
“We’ve got to be cautious about our Canadian neighbors,” the mayor said, noting that mines bring economic benefits to some tribes in the province.
The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission has asked for meetings with provincial officials to discuss their concerns, but B.C. ministries have yet to schedule any sessions. The delay prompted the commission to ask for a pause on new permits.
One area of concern for the group is the Red Chris Mine, which has been operating near the headwaters of the Stikine River since 2015. The open-pit copper and gold mine is about 60 miles east of the Stikine, near the community of Iskut.
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