Dene National Chief says no one is prepared

Yellowknife, NT – In a press conference today, Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus addressed the media over the major concern of a massive toxic tailings spill near Hinton, Alberta that flows into the Athabasca River and northward. “These toxins are from synthetic chemicals and heavy metals that are heading our way and will end up in the watersheds of the Northwest Territories. Yet, there is no clear process in emergency preparedness for this kind of pit failure.”

Erasmus said that the Hinton coal mine leak is a major failure with one billion litres of contaminants seeping into the Athabasca River and eventually making its way north. “These contaminants are laced with arsenic, toxic metals and carcinogenic materials and only after learning about it in the media, we were left to our own devices to deal with it.” He noted that it has taken almost three weeks for the Dene Nation to learn, through the media, of the occurrence of the massive Alberta pit failure.

The occurrence at the Obed Mountain Coal Mine, operated by Sherritt International, gave way on October 31, 2013. “We only learned about the unfortunate release of a large volume of contaminated water 19 days later,” said Erasmus. “There is no clear process set up where we are immediately informed. We’re very concerned. It’s an extremely significant event that affects us all in the north, including the circumpolar world,” said Erasmus. He added that the concern is also for long-term effects. “The volume of contaminants in the water will speak for itself through testing but we cannot rely on the environment to dilute the heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury to name a few. None of our governments are prepared to deal with this in a constructive way including the company involved.”

Erasmus said there are countless questions to answer. “We don’t know why the pit gave way or just what contaminants or sediment is leaking into the water. What we do know is that 1 billion litres in volume is a massive amount and we will be affected downstream.” He acknowledged that Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development are involved in the investigation. “We also want to know if the company was in compliance with federal and provincial requirements and regulations.”

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For more information, contact:
Barrett (Sonny) Lenoir
Dene Nation
Tel: (867) 873-4081
Email: blenoir [at] denenation [dot] com

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Spilled Coal Slurry Not Inert But Laced With Arsenic Toxic Metals and Carcinogenic PAHs,

Data Shines Light on Efforts to Keep Public in the Dark and Downplay Impacts of Massive Spill

MiningWatch Canada statement

15 November 2013

Ottawa – On October 31, an impoundment holding a slurry of waste from Sherritt International’s Obed Mountain coal mine failed realising approximately 670-million litres of waste into the Athabasca River watershed. Alberta government press releases referred to the waste as “process water”[1], “suspended solids, which include such things as clay and organic matter”[2], and sediments containing “such things as clay, mud, shale and coal particles”[3]. Official statements have provided very little information about the extent or magnitude of the spill and a November 4 statement stated the spill was somehow “contained”. As reported in the Edmonton Journal, the only thing that was contained was the waste remaining at the mine site. The plume released to the river extended 113 km by November 8.[4]

The government’s statements along with at least one unofficial statement to media from an employee of the mine⁵ led to initial reporting that the released waste materials are inert. MiningWatch is very concerned about what appear to be efforts to keep the public in the dark about the environmental impacts of this spill.

Thanks to successful litigation by MiningWatch, Ecojustice and Great Lakes United coal and other mine operators have to report the toxic contents of waste products to the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). Prior to the 2009 court decision, the federal government allowed a lapsed exemption to the Environmental Protection Act to remain in place for mining operations.

In sharp contrast to the descriptions provided by the Alberta government, data submitted by Sherritt to the NPRI indicate that tonnes of highly toxic materials were being dumped into the ponds every year. The toxic substances include carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. The wastes also include phosphorous, manganese and zinc, which have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and drinking water at elevated concentrations. These substances occur naturally in the coal and waste rock from the mine but become an environmental hazard when removed from the ground, processed and stored as slurry.

“This disaster clearly shows the impotence of federal and provincial governments’ regulatory oversight and over-reliance on industry self-monitoring and social responsibility” stated Ramsey Hart, Program Coordinator at MiningWatch Canada. “Corporate commitments to sustainability like those made by Sherritt and many other mining companies ring hollow when faced with such an incident and how it’s being handled” Hart added.

Concern over the impacts of the spill were confirmed by the unofficial release of water testing results by the Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health to the Edmonton Journal. The test results indicated elevated concentrations of PAHs and mercury in the waste plume that was moving downstream.[6]

The attached table provides the data taken from the NPRI for on-site releases of tailings or process water at the Obed Moutain Mine.

Contact: Ramsey Hart, MiningWatch Canada 613-298-4745 (mobile).

[1] Nov 1, Alberta Energy Regulator responding to Obed Mountain Coal Mine Process Water Containment Failure

[2] Nov 2, Update: Government responders are monitoring a sediment release into the Athabasca River from a decommissioned mine near Hinton

[3] Nov 4, Sediment release into Athabasca River has stopped

[4] Nov 12, Edmonton Journal

[5] Nov 4, Edmonton Journal

[6] Nov 15, Edmonton Journal