BC Canada: Coal Mines Poisoning Elk River
B. McPherson These titans move tonnes of coal for shipment to Asia. Open pit coal mines in the Elk River Valley of BC are slowly poisoning the river. Excessive amounts of selenium, nitrate and sulphate are leaching into the formerly pristine waters, poisoning the fauna. Teck Resources operates five open pit coal mines in the area. They admit they are having some difficulties with leachate and are working to improve the situation. In the meantime, these environmental toxins are accumulating in the river and in the bodies of animals there. Teck’s plan to reduce these pollutants will still have these unwanted chemicals exceed provincial water quality standards. An uptick in the frequency of spinal and eye deformities of the cutthroat trout has been observed by scientists. A study conducted by scientists at the University of Montana released troubling figures. “Dr. Hauer said the Elk River data is “pretty alarming,” because it points to a chronic pollution p...