Coordinated protests on April 29 in Vancouver, Toronto, Kamloops, Winnipeg, Los Angeles and Portland targeted the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas, which has accepted an application to reopen the Mount Polley mine despite an ongoing investigation into last year’s disaster whose findings are expected later this year.
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Protesters are angry that no cleanup appears to have been done at the site of last year’s tailings pond breach, and a significant area around the dam remains contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic waste. They argue that at the very least it is irresponsible to reopen the mine before the investigation has concluded, but clearly they would like to see the mine shut for good.
Ricochet’s Nicky Young is in Vancouver, and produced this report from yesterday’s demonstration.
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