Alaskans fear environmental threats from mines in northwest B.C.

British Columbia's ambition of opening new mines inthe province's north has raised fears in neighbouring Alaska whereenvironmental and aboriginal groups say the industry's uncheckeddevelopment threatens their salmon and tourism industries.

Tribal leaders and salmon-protection advocates gathered at aBureau of Indian Affairs conference in Anchorage Tuesday, and highon the agenda was the impact of B.C. mineral developments on themultibillion-dollar Alaskan industries.

Conference delegates called on the U.S. State Department to usethe 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty to activate the International JointCommission, hold boundary dispute hearings and discuss the importantsalmon waterways, the communities they support and the risks theyface from potential mine contamination.

"We're asking the U.S. federal government to elevate this issueto the International Joint Commission," said Guy Archibald, aspokesman for the southeast Alaska Conservation Council.

Archibald said conservation and aboriginal groups have formed theSalmon Beyond Borders coalition to lobby their government topressure Canada and B.C.

He said both Canada and the U.S. must formally request theInternational Joint Commission hearings.

"We see this region for its salmon and cultural benefits, and itseems like northwest B.C., in the same region, looks more towardsmineral development as being the best use of the land, so we seethere's kind of a conflict going on here," said Archibald in aninterview just prior to his convention address.

The Alaskans say rapid, industrial mine developments in B.C.threaten the headwaters of some of southeast Alaska's prime salmonrivers, including the Taku, Stikine and Unuk rivers, which flowthrough Canada's most-western province.

The Alaskans say the rivers are some of the most productivesalmon rivers on the entire North American west coast, and haveecological, cultural and recreational uses and values.

Mount Polley spill raised concerns

Archibald said the Alaskans are deeply concerned about what theyconsider loose mining regulations in B.C., especially since lastsummer's tailings pond breach at the Mount Polley mine near WilliamsLake, in B.C.'s central Interior.

Millions of litres of mine water and waste gushed over thelandscape near Likely, B.C., last August and shut down operations atthe Imperial Metals open pit, copper and gold mine.

Archibald said a visit to Alaska last month by B.C.'s Energy andMines Minister Bill Bennett did not alleviate concerns aboutpotential, future disasters in B.C.'s northwest.

"He was trying to tamp down some of the bad press over the MountPolley tailings disaster," said Archibald.

"He basically equated what happened at Imperial Metals MountPolley mine to a large avalanche. That's the kind of rhetoric thatreally worries people in southeast Alaska."

Bennett was not immediately available for comment.

Bennett travelled to Alaska, spoke to the annual Alaska MinersAssociation convention in Anchorage and met with state officials andfishing organizations.

Bennett said he was accompanied by Chad Day, president of theTahltan Central Council, along with senior government environmentand energy officials.

The Tahltan of northwest B.C. have explored mining developmentswith the province.

Bennett said he also met with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, aRepublican who has expressed concerns about B.C.'s mining industry.