Dear Editor
Thank you for your timely and appropriate August, 8th editorial regarding the recent Mount Polly Mine tailing pond crisis.
The two big questions in the minds of the people of that area are probably, what is the provincial government going to do to ensure that accidents such as this never happen again? and will the government ensure that Imperial Metals, the mines owner, bears the full expense of the cleanup?
The answer to these two questions is very little. Imperial Metals is controlled by Alberta oil magnate Murray Edwards. Six companies controlled by Mr. Edwards have contributed $482,857 to the B.C. Liberal Party. The B.C. Liberal Party never turns its back on friends like that.
For a considerable number of years the government knew the tailings pond was inadequate and repeatedly warned the company of this dangerous situation but neither the company nor the government did anything about it. B.C. Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett has admitted I am losing sleep over this. He should lose more than sleep, he should lose his job.
Eventually the furor created by this crisis will die down and then once again it will be business as usual between the government and the natural resource companies. Our planet is small. It is the only one we have and we are destroying it.
Jim Galloway
Brisco, B.C.
