Beneath the Surface: A Podcast by the BC Mining Law Reform Network

Hosted by BC Mining Law Reform

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Dec 2024

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About the show

Beneath the Surface is brought to you by BC Mining Law Reform, a network dedicated to advocating for mining laws that prioritize environmental and social wellbeing above profit. Each episode delves into the pressing issues at the intersection of environmental advocacy, Indigenous rights, community impacts, and legal reform. Through engaging conversations with researchers, activists, legal professionals, and community members, Beneath the Surface illuminates the challenges and opportunities for mining reform in British Columbia and beyond.

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13 recent

December 23, 202430 min

Does Regulation Delay Mines? w/ Rosemary Collard and Jessica Dempsey

Episode Notes In this episode, we’re joined by geographers Rosemary Collard and Jessica Dempsey to discuss their groundbreaking audit of mining projects in British Columbia. Are environmental regulations really the bottleneck the mining industry claims they are? What happens when the promised economic benefits of mining—like jobs, tax revenue, and production—fall drastically short? Rosemary and Jessica walk us through their research, revealing surprising insights about delays, care-and-maintenance loopholes, and the underperformance of mines. You can find Rosemary and Jessica's audit here: https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0083 Rosemary and Jessica are co-directors of the 'Extinction Paradox' research project. You can learn about that here: https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0083 Other links: Rachel Singleton-Polster, Regulatory barriers to mine reclamation for caribou Nick Gottlieb, Mining companies are abusing a little-known loophole to avoid cleanup

December 10, 202418 min

Challenging the KSM Mine w/ Rachel Gutman

Episode Notes This episode of Beneath the Surface features a discussion about the proposed Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) mine in northern British Columbia. If completed, the KSM mine would become one of the world’s largest gold-copper mines, threatening critical river systems and the communities that depend on them. Joining us is Rachel Gutman, a lawyer with Ecojustice, who is part of the legal team challenging the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office’s decision to classify the KSM mine as “substantially started.” This designation allows the mine to move forward under an environmental assessment conducted over a decade ago, despite significant changes in environmental laws, science, and our understanding of climate risks. Rachel breaks down what “substantially started” means, why this case matters, and what a legal victory could mean for environmental protection and Indigenous rights in British Columbia. Learn more about: Ecojustice SkeenaWild Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission

October 28, 202430 min

Salmon Beyond Borders w/ Heather Hardcastle

Episode Notes In this episode of Beneath the Surface, we sit down with Heather Hardcastle, who helped to found Salmon Beyond Borders, a campaign dedicated to protecting salmon and the vital transboundary rivers that flow between British Columbia and Alaska. We discuss the cultural and ecological importance of salmon, the growing threats they face—especially from mining activity in BC—and the Indigenous-led efforts to safeguard their future. You can learn more about Salmon Beyond Borders here: https://salmonbeyondborders.org/about

July 31, 202426 min

Mount Polley: A decade of disaster w/ Doug Watt

Episode Notes On August 4, 2014, the Mount Polley mine's tailings storage facility failed, discharging 25 million cubic meters of toxic sludge into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek, and Quesnel Lake. This episode features an interview with Douglas Watt, a resident of Likely, a community close to Quenel Lake. We talk about the essay Doug wrote for the academic journal BC Studies, reflecting on the impact of the disaster and the unfulfilled promises from politicians and industry that followed the disaster. You can read Doug's essay here: "Promises, Promises: The Views of a Quesnel Lake Resident Ten Years after the 2014 Mount Polley Mine Disaster" Full BC Studies issue on Mount Polley: "Learning from Disaster: A Decade After the Mount Polley Tailings Dam Failure"

July 22, 202433 min

Mining, tailings, and water pollution w/ Adrienne Berchtold

Episode Notes In this episode of ‘Beneath the Surface’, we explore the impact of mining on water resources in British Columbia, with a special focus on mine tailings and their potential environmental repercussions. Adrienne Berchtold, Ecologist and Mining Impacts Researcher with SkeenaWild, outlines the impacts of mining on B.C.'s water resources, the threat posed by the numerous tailings dams that dot the province's landscape, and the broader ecological and community risks associated with mining activities. Check out the British Columbia Mine Tailings Map: https://reformbcmining.ca/tailings-map/ Learn more about the SkeenaWild Conservation Trust: https://skeenawild.org/

June 27, 202429 min

Canada's "critical minerals" update: implications and insights w/ Jamie Kneen

Episode Notes In this episode of 'Beneath the Surface', we sit down with Jamie Kneen, Outreach Coordinator and Canada Program Co-Lead at Mining Watch Canada, to talk about the recent updates to Canada’s "critical minerals" list. The federal government has expanded the list to 34 minerals, emphasizing their role in fostering economic opportunities. We explore the implications of the government's outlook, focusing on the potential environmental impacts and the challenges it poses to Indigenous rights. Jamie also shares insights into alternative approaches that prioritize recycling and reducing demand. Learn more about Mining Watch Canada: https://www.miningwatch.ca/ Learn more about the BC Mining Law Reform network: https://reformbcmining.ca/

June 6, 202427 min

Mining Claims and Salmon Habitats in a Changing Climate w/ Tara Marsden

Episode Notes As northern BC's glaciers melt, revealing new salmon habitats, these critical ecosystems face imminent threats from increased mineral staking. Tara Marsden, Wilp Sustainability Director for the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, discusses the complex interplay between emerging salmon habitats and the mining industry's race to claim these newly accessible lands. Tara sheds light on the urgent need for reform in the Mineral Tenure Act to protect these vital habitats and ensure that mining exploration and development practices align with conservation goals and Indigenous rights. "Mining stakes claim on salmon futures as glaciers retreat": https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj4911

May 17, 202423 min

Reforming the Mineral Tenure Act w/ Nikki Skuce

Episode Notes In this episode of Beneath the Surface, we sit down with Nikki Skuce, Director of the Northern Confluence Initiative and co-chair of BC Mining Law Reform, to dive deep into the reform process for British Columbia’s Mineral Tenure Act (MTA). Nikki brings to light the historical context of the MTA, its longstanding impact on Indigenous rights and land use, and why comprehensive reform is not just necessary but urgent. Listeners will also hear about the active role of the BC Mining Law Reform network in advocating for mineral staking reform and the specific outcomes we hope to achieve through the reform process. Nikki provides practical ways listeners can support the reform efforts, including signing the following petition on our website: https://reformbcmining.ca/update-laws/.

May 3, 202423 min

Selenium Pollution in the Elk Valley w/ Simon Wiebe

Episode Notes This episode features an interview with Simon Wiebe, a former mineral exploration geologist and Mining Policy and Impacts Researcher with Wildsight. Wildsight recently commissioned a groundbreaking report shedding light on the staggering costs associated with reversing selenium pollution, estimated at $6.4 billion dollars. Simon unpacks the report's findings and discusses their implications. We kick off the conversation by exploring Wildsight's mission and what drove them to commission the report. Simon breaks down the science behind selenium contamination, its pathways into BC's waterways, and the ecological havoc it wreaks. The report's revelation that Teck's current reclamation security falls woefully short—$1.9 billion versus the needed $6.4 billion—leads to a discussion on the implications of this gap for future reclamation efforts. You can access the report here: https://wildsight.ca/2024/03/19/the-elk-valleys-6-4-billion-pollution-problem/ Become a member of Wildsight

April 19, 202428 min

Exploring the Costs of Mining Cleanup w/ Francesca Fionda

Episode Notes We sit down with Francesca Fionda, a reporter from The Narwhal, to discuss the recent investigation she led into BC's mining reclamation funding. Our discussion focuses on the significant shortfall in the funds set aside for reclamation—sometimes referred to as the Reclamation Liability Gap. We also chat about the collaborative nature of the investigation (it was the result of a joint effort by The Narwhal and The Globe and Mail), about the data that were used to tell the story, and about how taxpayers might be forced to foot the bill for mining disasters. You can read Francesca's investigation here: https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-mining-liabilities-cleanup-costs-taxpayers/ Follow Frencesca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrancescaFionda Learn more about BC Mining Law Reform: https://reformbcmining.ca/

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