Fisheries Act
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- Published on Tuesday, 28 March 2017 06:45
- Written by editor
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This week, our friends at MiningWatch are in court to push the Canadian government to enforce its own laws and hold Imperial Metals to account for the damages done by one of the biggest mining disasters in Canadian history.
It's about time. It's been three years since the Mt. Polley mining disaster -- yet Imperial Metals faced no fines or sanctions and didn’t even have to pay the full cost of cleanup. Instead, Canadians picked up the tab. But this court case could change all that.
While reporters are keeping an eye on the case, we are going to keep up the pressure by delivering the petition to key decision makers in the coming weeks. Can you help by calling on the Trudeau government to enforce the Fisheries Act while it's in the spotlight?
Act now to call on the Trudeau government to enforce the Fisheries Act.
Original email:
Three years after the Mt. Polley mining disaster, the Government of Canada is about to let the corporation responsible off the hook.
Ottawa wants to dismiss criminal charges against Imperial Metals before the court even hears any evidence in the worst mining disaster in Canadian history. We can’t let that happen.
Sign the petitionFriend,
Almost three years ago, Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley Mine spilt 25 million cubic metres of toxic waste into pristine Quesnel Lake, one of deepest lakes in the world. The lake is home to multiple fish species, and supplies drinking water to local communities.
Right now, the federal government is trying to let Imperial Metals off the hook for the largest mining waste spill in Canadian history -- but we’re not going to let that happen.
Mount Polley is a textbook case of corporate negligence. Multiple independent and government reports found the mine waste site was poorly constructed and operated, yet Imperial Metals faced no fines or sanctions and didn’t even have to pay the full cost of cleanup. Instead, British Columbians picked up the tab.
Tell Trudeau's government not to let Imperial Metals off the hook. Enforce the Fisheries Act now!
The 2014 spill destroyed or damaged massive swaths of fish habitat that is supposed to be protected under the national Fisheries Act. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to usher in a new era of protection for Canadian waterways. We need to hold him to that promise. And that means he needs to push forward with criminal charges against Imperial Metals.
Not only has Imperial Metals escaped scot-free after overseeing the worst mining disaster in Canadian history, it was granted permission to open the even bigger Red Chris mine in northern B.C by the B.C. Government. Why do we have governments and regulations for if we can’t use them to hold corporations to account?
Canada is a world superpower in the mining industry and its record of neglect, shoddy practices and environmental devastation is one of the most underreported stories in the media. That’s why SumOfUs supporters have always stood up against its abuses.
Hundreds of thousands of us have fought mining companies trying to build destructive mines. We’ve called on Newmont Mining to stop its development in Peru, and on Rio Tinto to pull out of its investment in Pebble Mine in Alaska. To date, neither mine has been built -- showing that when we stand together, we can stop mining companies from destroying our ecosystem, and local communities.
Thanks for all that you do,
Angus, Emma, Liz, and the rest of the SumOfUs team
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More information:
Advocacy group continues to pursue action against Mount Polley mining company, CBC News, 27 March 2017.
25,000 Canadians Join First Nations, Local Residents in Seeking Justice for Canada's Biggest Mining Spill, Yahoo Finance, 27 March 2017.
Federal Government Seeks to Quash Lawsuit Against Mount Polley and B.C. Government Before Evidence Heard, DeSmog, 13 January 2017
Mount Polley Disaster Stunner: Federal Government Moves To Stop MiningWatch Presenting Evidence To Court, MiningWatch, 13 January 2017
Where’s the Will to Protect British Columbians’ Rights after Resource Disasters?, The Tyee, 5 August 2016
All Is Not Well 2 Years After Mount Polley Mine Disaster, Huffington Post, 8 March 2016
SumOfUs is a community of people from around the world committed to curbing the growing power of corporations. We want to buy from, work for and invest in companies that respect the environment, treat their workers well and respect democracy. And we’re not afraid to stand up to them when they don’t.
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