Kenneth Bates heads Cline Mining Corp., a small Toronto-based outfit that is trying to resurrect a 20-year-old coal mine project in British Columbia.
The original project was finally abandoned in the late 1980s after a study by representatives of both countries concluded the plan would jeopardize water quality in the North Fork of the Flathead River. That waterway pours south from Canada, forming the western boundary of Glacier Park before spilling into Flathead Lake.
Monday, the commission meets at Kalispell's WestCoast Outlaw Hotel, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Bates is among those expected to speak at the meeting, explaining his proposal to begin hauling two million tons of coal a year from southeastern British Columbia. Bates has said he plans to be at full production within the next two or three years, and will operate 20 years.
A similar proposal in the late 1970s resulted in an international inquiry that ultimately advised abandoning the project due to transboundary environmental concerns.
Monday's meeting also will explore a separate proposal by British Columbia's government to develop coal-bed methane fields in the headwaters of the North Fork Flathead.
Both projects have raised concerns centered on the quality of water coming from north of the border.
Other speakers expected to attend include officials from British Columbia's Ministry of Energy and Mines, as well as a city councilman from Fernie, British Columbia, and a member of the original investigative team formed 20 years ago.
The history of that original study remains fresh in many minds, and is generating considerable discussion on both sides of the border. Monday, British Columbia provincial legislator Bill Bennett wrote to local officials in the area near the proposed mine, asking for their input.
Bennett is a member of the Liberal Party, known for its pro-development stance with regard to extractive industries in general and energy mining in particular.
Yet in his letter, Bennett indicates Cline's proposal likely will require national and international study, and he points out that "the Flathead has the highest density of grizzlies in Inland North America and that the area is precious to many people on both sides of the 49th."
Already, city officials from Fernie have come out against the coal-bed methane proposal. They have asked the provincial government for a full environmental and economic assessment prior to granting the leases, but the government refused.
"This is just the beginning," said Fernie Councilman David Thomas. "This discussion is just getting started."
Reporter Michael Jamison can be reached at 1-800-366-7186 or at mjamison@missoulian.com
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