Sierra Club of Canada (BC Chapter), Dogwood Initiative, and the Cheslatta Carrier Nation have issued a joint press release strongly opposing the October 2005 permit amendment application by Huckleberry Mine to discharge effluent from the mine's tailings pond directly into Tahtsa Lake west of Prince George.

According to the application, the effluent would contain copper, mercury, zinc, nitrogen oxide and suspended solids in concentrations that raise serious concerns about bio-accumulation of toxic compounds, especially mercury, in fish tissue, and ultimately in humans who eat the fish. The proposed rate of discharge - 5 million cubic meters annually - would equal 114 railcars per day discharged directly into the Nechako watershed system. Consumption of fish containing high levels of mercury has been linked to brain damage in babies and young children.

For more information:
Jill Thompson, Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter Grassroots Coordinator: 250-386-5255, ext. 237
Will Horter, Dogwood Initiative Executive Director, 250-370-9930, ext. 23
Mike Robertson, Senior Policy Advisor to the Cheslatta Nation, 250-694-3334