Search: Article, 11/2011

If a mining company was likely to have caused numerous family wells to go dry, changed the discharge of groundwater into local streams, caused sink holes in fields and yards, and horizontal and vertical shifts in the land surface – one would hope that the government responsible for regulating the industry would step up and support the citizens who were being affected.

A proposed open pit gold mine that would straddle the city boundary of Kamloops, BC, is raising concern and requests for a joint review panel environmental assessment from a citizens group (the Kamloops Area Preservation Association), Kamloops City Council, and the Thompson Nicola Regional District Council.

The streets are hardly paved with gold. Despite producing gold on an industrial scale since 1873 – over nine million ounces’ worth – the place is really not much better off than the rest of the country. Scattered chunks of tarmac are the only evidence that the main road from Tarkwa to Prestea had once been paved.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has told affected First Nations, local residents and public interest groups that the review of the proposed Elmtree Gold Mine is on hold. As reported in regional media, Castle Resources needs to re-assess the economics of the project before proceeding with the development of its Environmental Impact Statement. Citizens of the area are not letting their guard down and they continue to resist the proposal. In September, they sent a letter to the company indicating their strong opposition to the project.