Sullivan Demands Transparency from Canadians on Mine Spill in Yukon Watershed
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) sent a letter yesterday to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman urging them to provide greater transparency and a full accounting of the major cyanide spill at a Canadian gold mine last month in the Yukon Territory.
“I sent a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau raising an issue I’ve been working on for years—making sure Canadian transboundary mines do not negatively impact Alaska communities that are often downstream,” said Sen. Sullivan. “While we are demanding Canadian cooperation and clean-up of the recent spill at a gold mine in the Yukon Territory, we are not waiting on them. Last week, we secured a commitment from the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct water testing in Alaska’s portion of the Yukon as a precautionary measure.
“Since coming to the Senate in 2015, I’ve been intently focused on addressing the risks posed by Canadian transboundary mines on Alaskans and Alaska’s marine ecosystems. In 2018, Lt. Governor Byron Mallott and I traveled to Ottawa to press the Trudeau Cabinet about the need to clean up the Tulsequah Chief Mine and other mines near Southeast. I have raised these and related issues directly with Prime Minister Trudeau before. Just two weeks ago when he was in D.C., we discussed some of the shared challenges we have regarding Yukon River king salmon runs.
“While there does not appear to be any threat to the health and safety of Alaskans at this time, we need to know what happened, what clean-up measure are being taken, and what the ongoing risks are. Mining is critically important to our economy and our national security, and it can be done without endangering our environment or the well-being of our communities. I will continue to demand greater transparency and strict oversight from the Canadians of these mining operations.”
Below is the full text of Sen. Sullivan’s letter.
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau:
I write regarding the recent cyanide spill at Victoria Gold’s Eagle Mine in Yukon, Canada. As you know, I have personally raised the issue of transboundary mining and the importance of ensuring that pollutants from Canadian mines do not negatively impact Alaskan rivers numerous times since I became a Senator in 2015. This includes a trip with Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor to Ottawa, where I expressed my concerns directly to members of your cabinet. This spill is a clear example of the reason for my concerns.
On June 24, part of the Eagle Mine released almost 300,000 cubic meters of cyanide solution into a sub-tributary of the Stewart Watershed. About 10 days later, high levels of cyanide—which is toxic to salmon and other fish—were detected in a nearby creek, and more cyanide is expected to enter that creek in the coming weeks. The Stewart Watershed encompasses one of many tributaries of the Yukon River, which flows into Alaska.
The health of our wildlife—particularly salmon—is of vital importance to Alaska, and in our meeting in DC earlier this month, I mentioned to you some of the challenges we are having on the Yukon River with salmon. We certainly do not want this spill to add to these challenges. Salmon are the lifeblood of my state and recent poor salmon runs, particularly on the Yukon River, have had a devastating effect on the health and livelihoods of communities all across Alaska. The introduction of more pollutants like cyanide into our streams will only increase the likelihood of poor salmon runs in the future and potentially increase health risks in our communities.
In light of these concerns, I request increased transparency and communication from senior Canadian officials regarding the Eagle Mine spill and other potential issues from Canada’s abandoned, developing, and operating mine projects near the headwaters of Alaska’s rivers. Specifically, I request Canada provide a detailed description of what happened to cause the Eagle Mine spill, the potential risks of the spill, and what immediate efforts Canada is making to clean the spill up completely, as well as to prevent future accidents such as these.
I look forward to increased coordination between Canadian and U.S. officials on all levels to help prevent these spills and to remediate mines that are leaching into Alaska’s waters. While mines are an important part of resource development, there is no need to sacrifice environmental safeguards for development.
I look forward to working with you and your leadership to improve the transparency and coordination between our two nations on this pressing issue.
Sincerely,
Dan Sullivan
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