Still No Justice for the Environment in Canada

OTTAWA--Sierra Club Canada is disturbed that today’s Supreme Court of Canada’s decision allows the Red Chris mine in British Columbia to go ahead despite acknowledging the federal government violated the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). While Sierra Club Canada is pleased that the Supreme Court reaffirmed Canada’s environmental laws, we are concerned that the Red Chris mine will be allowed despite avoiding a rigorous assessment.

“There is no justice for the environment in Canada, but in this case there is a solution, Sierra Club Canada calls upon Imperial Metals to resubmit their proposal to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and requests a full panel review,” said John Bennett, Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada.

  The federal government attempted to evade the CEAA by allowing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Natural Resources Canada to limit their assessment to divisions of the mine proposal by removing the actual mine and mill from its environmental review and rubber-stamping a provincial assessment.

  “The Red Chris mine will devastate surrounding lakes, streams and wildlife and allow for the excavation of 30,000 tonnes of earth a day for decades to come,” said Celeste Côté, Sierra Club Canada’s National Water Campaigner.   “The environmental assessment should not have been circumvented in the first place.”   The Supreme Court’s decision prevents the federal government from avoiding Canada’s environmental laws in the future, but the fact remains that the laws were broken and justice remains un-served.  

-30-

Contact:

Michael Bernard

Director of Media Relations

Sierra Club Canada

michaelb@sierraclub.ca

(o) 613.241.4611 x230

(c) 613.302.9933

Toll free: 1.888.810.4204