The mountain range Constantine is exploring as part of the Palmer Project. (Constantine Metal Resources)
The Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan and environmental groups lost their legal fight against hardrock mine development in the Chilkat Valley in a federal appeals court on Friday.
The San Francisco based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld last year’s federal court ruling: the Bureau of Land Management does not have to consider the impacts of a fully fledged mine when considering permits for mineral exploration.
Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan officials were unavailable for comment.
“We’re going to continue fighting this mine,” said Chris Zimmer, the Alaska Campaign Director with Rivers Without Borders, another plaintiff in the case. He called the ruling a disappointment.
“This court decision doesn’t change the concerns everybody’s put on the table about the potential effects on water quality and fisheries from the mine. Those are all still out there, are still valid. This court decision did nothing to address them,” he said.
Constantine Metal Resources is in the advanced stages of exploration for a copper-zinc-silver-gold mine. Surrounding residents are divided between the promise of local jobs and the concern that mine waste and runoff could pollute the Chilkat River, a major salmon source for the region.
Constantine’s communications consultant Liz Cornejo said in written comments that the company is pleased with the court’s decision and “remains committed to quality science and meaningful engagement with Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan and other stakeholders.”
Liz,
You say you are committed to meaningful engagement, but you have refused to answer any questions about the Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Palmer project released July 2019. What are you afraid of? That PEA was greeted by a downward slide in Constantine stock price. The PEA also had numerous unsupported assumptions and serious uncertainties…and relies on a ridiculous risky and speculative plan to market barite, a mine waste product. If your PEA had any credibility it would have been greeted with investor confidence, instead you got the opposite. And, let’s not even get into your idea of “quality science.” Where is your dye study looking at connectivity between the mine site and the Chilkat River? Since you haven’t released results, one must assume that the test results weren’t in your favor. Let’s look at the “quality science” in your PEA where you assume, despite significant evidence to the contrary, that Palmer won’t produce acid mine drainage and need water treatment. You compare your project to Greens Creek, yet ignore the fact that Greens Creek will need tens of millions of dollars in water treatment. Just as with the Tulsequah Chief, you are an inexperienced, junior mining company, trying to push an economically shaky acid-generating mine right above the salmon habitat in a very productive salmon river that provides food, jobs, and recreation to the region. Tulsequah Chief is now bankrupt and will need $50-100 million to clean it up, which will likely be funded by Canadian taxpayers. You’re headed down the same path.