The meeting, hosted by the Flathead Basin Commission, continues a decades-long debate about energy development in southeastern British Columbia.
Nearly 30 years ago, a Canadian mining firm first proposed open-pit coal mining in the province's Flathead River Valley.
That initial dispute was finally mediated by the International Joint Commission, a binational body charged by treaty with resolving transboundary water issues. After several years of scientific study, the IJC released a technical report advising the mining venture be dropped because of possible environmental problems in and around Glacier Park.
In recent years, however, the plan has been revived, with interest from Toronto-based Cline Mining Corp. The company initially proposed a project nearly identical to the original 1970s plan, but was blocked by provincial policymakers after considerable international pressure.
More recently, Cline has announced it hopes to build a coal mine farther north, in the river's headwaters. Company documents indicate Cline hopes to secure a “small mines” permit first, which would require minimal environmental review, and then later to increase coal production to an estimated 2 million tons per year.
The proposal has brought criticism from both sides of the border, and Schweitzer has met with provincial Premier Gordon Campbell to seek a resolution, perhaps through renewed IJC intervention.
On Dec. 7, the Flathead Basin Commission - formed by the state during the original controversy - has invited Schweitzer to provide an update of the debate. Also on the agenda is Dennis Schnornack, current co-chairman of the IJC.
The science and policy discussion includes Jack Stanford, director of the Flathead Lake Biological Station, and Brace Hayden, a Glacier Park official who will review the history of energy exploration in the Canadian Flathead, including IJC involvement.
Kathy Eichenberger, British Columbia's liaison to the Basin Commission, is expected to discuss the provincial process for reviewing and approving mining requests. In addition, Eichenberger will update the commission on what scientific baseline data already has been collected in the Canadian Flathead, and what data holes still exist.
Schweitzer and others have called for a complete baseline data survey prior to mining activity, so any future impacts can be easily measured. Scientists from both sides of the border have indicated that such baseline study will require years; Cline Mining has told shareholders the operation could be up and running within the year.
The Flathead Basin Commission, charged by state lawmakers with monitoring and protecting water quality in the Flathead River system, will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at the West Coast Hotel in Kalispell Center Mall. The public is welcome to attend.
Reporter Michael Jamison can be reached at 1-800-366-7186 or at mjamison@missoulian.com
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)