The following article is from the Pembina Institute’s After the Gold Rush website:
High mineral prices have created a rush to develop new mining projects
in Northwest British Columbia. In the Stikine and Taku regions, seven
new mines have already been proposed, and more exploration projects are
underway. How will such rapid industrial development affect local
communities, including those of the Tahltan First Nation, as well as
the region’s abundant wildlife and wilderness?
The Pembina Institute has produced a series of
primers that explore issues related to mining and sustainable
development in Northwest British Columbia, including: “Mining for
Dollars: The Economic Value of Minerals in the Stikine and Taku”; “Boom to Bust: Social and Cultural Impacts of the Mining Cycle”; “A Fortune at What Cost? The Proposed Coal Mine at Mt. Klappan”; and “Sizing it Up: Scenarios for Powering Northwest British Columbia.”
The combined mineral value of the seven mines proposed for the Stikine
and Taku is an astounding $204 billion dollars. Where will this money
end up? “Mining for Dollars”
looks at the value of Northwest British Columbia’s minerals, the
volatile nature of mineral prices, and how mining revenue in the
province is typically allocated.
Mines can bring jobs and other economic benefits to local communities.
However, when mineral prices fall and mines close, communities are
often left to deal with high unemployment rates and other social
problems, as well as the environmental challenges created by abandoned
mines. “Boom to Bust”
shows how the cyclical nature of mining can take a heavy toll on
communities and what communities can do to maximize benefits from
development while minimizing risks.
Each
new mining project will bring its own balance of benefits and
challenges for local communities. To determine whether a project’s
benefits outweigh its risks, communities need to pay attention to the
design, location and size of a new mine; its environmental safeguards;
and any arrangements for community engagement, including agreements
with First Nations.
“A Fortune at What Cost?”
evaluates one proposed project: Fortune Minerals’ Mt. Klappan Coal
Mine, which would be located in the “sacred headwaters” region. Its
benefits would include short-term and long-term jobs that could be
filled by local residents under the right conditions. However, the
project would also open pristine wilderness to new activity and
substantially increase British Columbia’s production of coal, one of
the most concentrated sources of climate change pollution.
Mining
companies are calling for an extension of the power grid up Highway 37
to help power new mines. The option currently favoured by the British
Columbia government, the 287-kilovolt (kV) Northwest Transmission Line,
could have a dramatic impact on the pace and scale of development in
the region. “Sizing it Up”
looks at potential long-term impacts from the Northwest Transmission
Line, and compares it with two other scenarios for powering the region:
a 138-kV transmission line, and development of regional renewable
energy resources.
For more information, visit www.afterthegoldrush.ca
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