10 Years After Mount Polley: Lessons Learned

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Is It Worth The Risk?

When a mine dam fails, the people of B.C. should not have to pay the bill for cleanup. But unfortunately, that’s what happens.

August 4th marks the 10th anniversary of the catastrophic dam failure at Mount Polley, an open-pit copper mine near Quesnel, B.C. The collapse released 25 million cubic meters, the equivalent of 10,000 Olympic swimming pools, of tailings and water into critical sockeye salmon habitat.

A decade later, scientists report that despite the company’s efforts at reclamation, the spilled tailings negatively impact downstream creeks and lakes.

Making Polluters Pay

Working Together To Protect Salmon

The construction methods used at the Mount Polley dam are also employed in other northern B.C. mines, including Red Chris. When these dams fail, the financial burden of clean-up falls on the people of B.C. This is why, at SkeenaWild, we advocate for polluters to pay into a disaster fund to cover unexpected events like dam failures. This policy incentivizes mining companies to minimize environmental damage and reduces public liability.

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Reducing Risks and Creating More Opportunity

Additionally, adopting new technologies and addressing mining’s environmental impacts can lead to more responsible practices and help prevent future disasters. SkeenaWild’s Ecologist and Mining Impacts Researcher Adrienne Berchtold spoke at a forum about the increasing risk of tailings failures in B.C. 

In her presentation below, Adrienne highlighted the growing dangers and consequences of dam failures as the number and size of tailings facilities increase. This is particularly concerning in the Skeena region and the rest of northwestern B.C., where the push for critical minerals mining intensifies pressures to build more open-pit copper mines.

Risks of BC Mining

Critical minerals are minerals considered essential for a range of applications that are at risk of supply chain disruption. Some critical minerals are used for electric transportation, batteries, and technologies like smartphones, while others are used for military purposes like defence and aerospace.

Given these risks, SkeenaWild collaborates closely with the BC Mining Law Reform network to advocate for a responsible energy transition that minimizes the need for new mines and prioritizes safety at existing ones.

Together with the BC Mining Law Reform network, we have created an interactive online map of mine sites with tailings facilities in BC. This map provides communities with vital information about the risks posed by billions of cubic meters of toxic mine waste, known as tailings, stored behind some of the highest dams in the world.

How can you help?

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Advocate for Mining Law Reform

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Fund further research on tailings safety through our Mining Reform Program

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Learn More

Discover what our Mining Reform team get up to

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Additional Resources

B.C. Studies – No. 221: Learning from Disaster: A Decade After the Mount Polley Tailings Dam Failure (Spring 2024)

Mount Polley mine tailings in Quesnel Lake eight years after spill

Reflecting on Canada’s Updated “Critical Minerals” List: A Missed Opportunity

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