US, Canada and indigenous groups announce proposal to address cross-border mining pollution
The U.S., Canada and several indigenous groups have agreed to address pollution from coal mining in British Columbia that's been contaminating waterways on both sides of the border for many years
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Officials from the U.S., Canada and several indigenous groups planned to announce a proposal on Monday to address longstanding pollution from coal mining in British Columbia that's contaminating waterways and harming fisheries on both sides of the border.
The proposal would be executed through a century-old U.S.-Canada boundary waters treaty, establishing independent boards to study the pollution’s extent and make cleanup recommendations.
Details were obtained by The Associated Press in advance of the proposal's public release. It comes after indigenous groups in British Columbia, Montana and Idaho lobbied for more than a decade for the federal governments in the U.S. and Canada to intervene and stop the flow of pollution.
Scientists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency several years ago confirmed high levels of selenium in fish and eggs in Montana’s Kootenai River downstream of Lake Koocanusa, which straddles the U.S. Canada border. The chemical, released when coal is mined and washed during processing, can be toxic to fish, aquatic insects and the birds that feed on them.
