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More Amax Pollution Planned

https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official3189
Source
Anglican News Service
Date
1981 August 11
More detail
Date
1981 August 11
Source
Anglican News Service
Type
Press Release
Text of motion
Toronto, Aug. 11, 1981 -- For immediate release
The Amax Corporation has served notice of another potential bomb-shell.
Amax operates the controversial molybdenum mine in Kitsault, British Columbia which was given permission by a Federal Cabinet Order-in-Council, without public hearings, to dump 12,000 metric tons of toxic mine tailings daily into the waters of Alice Arm, BC.
It would appear that Amax is now seeking to receive the same kind of quiet permission, without public scrutiny, to release toxic substances from the mine - this time into the air.
Appearing on page 1502 of the July 30th edition of the British Columbia Gazette is notice of an application by Amax, "to obtain a permit to discharge emissions to atmosphere." It goes on to say that the emissions will contain "arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury and zinc." The notice does say that the levels of these contaminants "will comply with the most stringent pollution control regulations now in effect." It goes on, however, to add, "objectives for molybdenum, nickel, uranium and radium 226 are not available, but emission rates, as tested, are in the same order of magnitude."
The notice declares, "The operating period during which contaminants will be discharged is continuous, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."
The application points out that "any person who qualifies as an objector" may file an objection within thirty days which means the deadline is August 13th. The notice was published in the midst of the postal strike and, as of August 10th, the copy of the Gazette received at Osgoode Hall in Toronto each month had still not arrived.
The application makes no mention of environmental hazard studies or of any public hearings to assess such hazards. The Nishga Indians who inhabit the surrounding Nass Valley, and will, therefore, live under the Amax cloud, have heard nothing of this application, nor have any public hearings been held in the area.
The General Synod of the Anglican Church, through its Executive Director of Program, the Rev. Clarke Raymond, has sent a telegram of objection asking that no permit be issued until the "environmental impact is assessed by public hearing."
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For further information, please contact:
R.J. Berryman
Media Officer
or
Peter Hamel
Consultant in National Affairs
at
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Toronto, Ont. M4Y 2J6
Telephone: (416) 924-9192
Subjects
AMAX, Inc.
Tailings (Metallurgy)
Mines and mineral resources - Canada
Mines and mineral resources - British Columbia
Mines and mineral resources - Environmental aspects - Canada
Ecology - British Columbia
Ecology - Canada
Ecology - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
Pollution - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
Nisga'a
Indigenous peoples - Canada - Anglican Church of Canada
Indigenous peoples - Canada
Corporate social responsibility - Canada
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