The true cost of cleaning British Columbia mines skyrockets

A recent analysis reveals that addressing the pollution from British Columbia's Elk Valley coal mines, specifically selenium contamination, may cost more than $6.4 billion, far exceeding earlier estimates.

Francesca Fionda and Ainslie Cruickshank report for The Narwhal.

In short:

The cleanup cost for BC's largest mining operation is significantly underestimated, posing financial risks to taxpayers.
An independent report challenges the $1.9 billion security held by the province for Teck's mines cleanup, suggesting the actual cost could be much higher.
Teck disputes the report's findings, asserting their commitment to covering all reclamation expenses without taxpayer burden.

Key quote:

“They’ve severely underplayed the problem and B.C. taxpayers stand to foot a multi-billion-dollar bill if anything goes wrong,”

— Simon Wiebe, a mining policy and impacts researcher at Wildsight

Why this matters:

Be it coal mines or abandoned oil and gas wells, dodging remediation costs and shifting the financial burden to taxpayers is a common occurrence in the fossil fuel space. Coal especially, spreads toxics during every phase of extraction, transportation, consumption and waste management.

www.ehn.org

The true cost of cleaning British Columbia mines skyrockets

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