Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/294363
62 www.resourceworld.com A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 4 E P I L O G U E D a v i d D u v a l The federal government's refusal to approve Taseko Mines' New Prosperity copper-gold project near Williams Lake might well come back to haunt it. And the reasons behind the decision seem all too familiar in this era of political, environmental and native militancy against resource development in general. Among the reasons cited for rejecting the project were potential damage to the local fish habitat, endangered grizzly populations, Tsilhqot'in cultural activities and heritage, and the alleged violation of Aboriginal rights and title of the Tsilhqot'in people. In actual fact, these arguments are very much a template for broader native opposi - tion to resource development in BC and throughout Canada for that matter. The decision also puts Harper's supposedly free enterprise govern- ment in direct conflict with BC's liberal government which supported the project and is actively promoting development of the province's liquid natural gas potential which will require a pipeline from gas fields in its northeast interior. The route for the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline will run through traditional native territories which are often the subject of overlapping land claims, among other issues. The proposed $6.5 bil - lion pipeline would provide access to new markets in the Pacific Rim and would run nearly 1,200 km from Bruderheim, Alberta to the port of Kitimat on BC's coast. The pipeline route has already been revised no less than 22 times and is subject to 209 pre-conditions imposed by the federal government which is expected to announce a go or no go decision by the end of June. In a recent interview with the CBC, Art Sterritt, Executive Director of Coastal First Nations in B.C., expressed a high degree of skepticism over the government's appointment of former Conservative cabinet minister, Jim Prentice, as its point man to resuscitate stalled talks concerning the pipeline with First Nations leaders in the province. "Unless he [Prentice] can show up with some new technology or a process to assure First Nations that pipelines are safe, that there is a way to clean up the mess when it happens, then there is really no sense in entering into this conversation," Sterritt said. Without appearing too cynical, one could easily surmise that the refusal to approve Taseko's New Prosperity Project might well have been a sacrificial lamb to native interests in an effort to offset pend - ing federal support for Northern Gateway. It's almost certain that Northern Gateway is dearer to Conservative hearts than any new copper mine in liberal-governed BC which will arguably generate a much lower return to federal coffers over its lifetime. Sadly, the endless debate and time involved in seeking approval for virtually any industrial project in Canada is bound to have a long term impact on the Canadian economy and the services (health care, pensions...) the government can provide to its citizens. A 10-year time frame from discovery to commercial production for any new mine in Canada is probably the absolute minimum and there is never any certainty that a project will receive approval even if a company meets all the regulatory requirements. In effect, the right to mine no longer exists even if you comply with all the rules. Taseko has spent over $100 million of investor's money on its New Prosperity Mine over 20 years and what does it and the company's investors have to show for it – absolutely nothing at this point. What most anti-development people fail to consider is the eco - nomic impact this inertia has on northern communities, most of whom are heavily dependent on resource extraction. The environ- mental risks posed by resource projects are in no way comparable to the social ills in remote northern communities imposed by high unemployment which are easily identifiable in government studies on longevity, familial and substance abuse, poor health care services and substandard housing. Stephen Harper's conservative government appears to be paying more attention to promoting economic development and milita - rization in the Canadian Arctic while failing to recognize the vast remaining resource potential in more accessible and hospitable areas of the country where, in many cases, resource extraction has sup- ported local communities for generations. The Conservative party's multi-pronged Arctic agenda is focused on economic development which boils down to exploiting the resource-based potential of the north where there are few significant population centres to begin with. Anyone that's worked in the north understands the high cost of exploration and the limited exploration season in these regions. The simple truth is that mineral deposits in these areas have to be much higher quality than you would find in established mining camps further south to justify their development. Prime Minister Harper has promised to defend Canada's sover - eignty by building and operating up to eight Arctic patrol ships, a new army training centre in Resolute Bay, and the refurbishing of an existing deepwater port at the Nanisivik mining site, a former lead-zinc producer that closed permanently in 2002. Perhaps the gov- ernment is on to something because there's no one there to resist. n Federal government's failure to approve New Prosperity Mine sets dangerous precedent for proposed Gateway Pipeline By David Duval