Editor:
Responding to past mining spills and environmental destruction in the Cariboo.
There was a chemical spill from Gibraltar into the Fraser River waterways during the past 36 years.
I am not aware of any data or testing that was done from that particular spill between McLeese Lake, Marguerite to Lillooet and on to Vancouver pertaining to fishing of the salmon.
Fishing and dip-netting continued on in the Fraser River as it has for hundreds of years (thousands of years!).
The Jack of Clubs Lake is still contaminated at Wells B.C.
It was mined in 1929.
The public is warned by public signage not to drink the water or eat the fish.
One does not see boating or swimming action there when one drives by that particular lake or stops beside it at the information centre.
The hillsides beside the Britannia Mine are still contaminated, since 1930 and cleanup is still being done today as the taxpayers are still footing the millions of dollars in cleanup costs from soil contamination.
Yes, some mines do go their full life expectancy without a spill and some mine operating licenses are renewed after 30 years for a 60-year life expectancy, but there are examples of disasters that can never be rectified. Lives are lost, life cycles are destroyed, environments are lost.
One has to study both sides of history and make an educated decision on what side they represent.
Chris Hornby
Williams Lake
