Mount Polley copper/gold mine in B.C. set to reopen just 8 months after massive toxic spill

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Program:: 
Air date: 
Mon, 04/27/2015 - 10:15am to 11:00am
Guests Kanahus Manuel of Secwepemc Nation and Franklin Lopez of subMedia.tv from Vancouver, B.C.1

On August 4, 2014 a huge mine tailings pond breached, releasing an estimated 14.5 million cubic meters of toxic solid and liquid mine wastes into the pristine waters of the Fraser River watershed in southeastern British Columbia. Imperial Metals, which runs the Mount Polley open pit copper and gold mine, applied for a permit to reopen the mine after the disaster. On April 1 (cruel joke), the Province of B.C. accepted the application to reopen the mine, leaving just one month for the public to comment. 

The Secwepemc Nation lives in the territory where the mine and toxic spill are located and on August 22 after the spill, the Neskonlith Secwepemc First Nation issued an eviction notice to Imperial Metals. The area has never been ceded to the Canadian government by the Indigenous People of the land, and they continue to resist industrial occupations of their land. Though they don't accept Canadian sovereignty over their land, recent Canadian court decisions have opened up new possibilities within the settler legal system to oppose such projects based on Aboriginal rights and title.

Guest host Paul Roland will talk with Kanahus Manuel of the Secwepemc Women Warrior Society, which has called for an International Day of Action against the mine reopening this Wednesday, April 29 https://www.facebook.com/events/479754152172313/. Manuel was in Portland on February 24 for a panel discussion on "Occupation, Environmental Destruction and the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Movement" at PSU. You can hear the audio here: http://kboo.fm/audiotagtitlera

Franklin Lopez of subMedia.tv from Vancouver, B.C. also happens to be in town for an evening of anti-colonial hip-hop and anarchist films, with Savage Fam and Alas. subMedia.tv is a video production ensemble, which aims to promote anarchist and anti-capitalist ideas, and aid social struggles through the dissemination of radical films and videos. Founded in 1994, subMedia.tv has produced 100's of videos on everything from anti-globalization to shoplifting. Their films have been screened around the world in social centers and movie theaters and seen by millions on the internet. More about them here: http://www.submedia.tv/

The Facebook page for tonight's event is here:https://www.facebook.com/events/1375489872779633/

  
 

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