The U.S. government is increasingly concerned with pollution from British Columbia mines following new research that shows contaminants in a river south of the border came from Canada.

In a letter obtained by The Canadian Press, the Environmental Protection Agency is demanding the provincial government hand over data explaining why Teck Resources coal mines in southern B.C are being allowed to exceed guidelines for a toxic heavy metal.

sa国际传媒淭he EPA sa国际传媒� finds it unacceptable that the province has accepted (a treatment plan) that will allow seasonal exceedances of water quality objectives into the future,sa国际传媒� says the Feb. 4 letter to B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman.

sa国际传媒淎n independent review could help facilitate U.S. stakeholder confidence in this new approach.sa国际传媒�

Contamination from Tecksa国际传媒檚 mines in the rivers of the Elk River watershed is a long-standing problem. Coal mining releases selenium, an element which in large amounts is toxic to wildlife and humans.

Reports on selenium concentrations in area waterways show levels up to four times B.C.sa国际传媒檚 maximum for drinking water. Monitoring stations near the mines have reported levels 50 times whatsa国际传媒檚 recommended for aquatic health.

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Tecksa国际传媒檚 own research recently reported the near-disappearance of rare cutthroat trout from a 60-kilometre stretch of the Fording River downstream from the companysa国际传媒檚 four mines.

That water flows into the cross-border Koocanusa Reservoir. The reservoir drains into the Kootenai River, which flows about 200 kilometres across Montana and Idaho.

Research by the U.S. Geological Survey found selenium in that stretch of the Kootenai, but none in its American tributaries.

sa国际传媒淭he Kootenai River downstream of the Libby Dam is being affected by the Elk Valley mines,sa国际传媒� says the EPA letter. sa国际传媒淭he study provides validated information that is concerning to U.S. agencies and our state and tribal partners.sa国际传媒�

Agency spokesman Richard Mylott said the U.S. is also worried about a new provincially approved water treatment process.

sa国际传媒淭he effectiveness of this new technology sa国际传媒� has not been demonstrated at the geographic scale and multi-decade time scale needed to abate pollution from Elk River coal mines,sa国际传媒� he said in an email.

The U.S., he said, wants to judge for itself.

sa国际传媒�(The agency) sa国际传媒� concluded it would be important to have U.S. mine remediation technical experts independently review the likely effectiveness of this technology.sa国际传媒�

In a written response, B.C. environment spokesman Jeremy Uppenborn said the province sa国际传媒渋s working with the U.S. EPA and Teck to provide the requested information.sa国际传媒�

A Teck spokesman has said the company plans to spend more than $1 billion by 2024 to clean up its effluent. Doug Brown said selenium levels should start to drop by the end of this year.

Some scientists say there are similar concerns about other British Columbia mining developments. Several projects are being considered for the provincesa国际传媒檚 northwest sa国际传媒� including the KSM copper/gold mine, which would dig one of the largest holes and build one of the highest dams on Earth.

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In a recent letter in the journal Science, 22 Canadian and U.S. researchers warned that when it comes to mitigation, mining in Canada often overpromises and underdelivers. Peer review and transparent reporting are the exception, they wrote.

sa国际传媒淐anadasa国际传媒檚 and B.C.sa国际传媒檚 environmental assessments have been criticized as being weak,sa国际传媒� said Jonathon Moore, a signatory and professor at Simon Fraser University.

sa国际传媒淭hey have been widely criticized as being ineffective and not properly accounting for risk.sa国际传媒�

Itsa国际传媒檚 time to reconsider how economic reward is evaluated against environmental risk, Moore said.

sa国际传媒淲e want those scales rebalanced and the way to rebalance that is through peer-reviewed science and processes that are inclusive and incorporate cross-border policies.sa国际传媒�

Bob Weber, The Canadian Press

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