Canadian mining can have an impact in the U.S.

A Canadian mining company is responsible for selenium pollution entering North Idaho waters. Teck Resources is a mining company in British Columbia. Waste rock from four of their mines have been leaching selenium into the Kootenai River Watershed since the early 1980s.

Selenium is toxic at high levels. Since 2017, the population of westslope cutthroat trout in this watershed has decreased by 93% because of selenium pollution.

Last year, the Montana Board of Environmental Review (MBER) set new limits on selenium in their water. This was great news because the new limits in Montana protect downstream water bodies in Idaho from selenium pollution.

However, Teck recently filed an appeal on those limits, arguing that Montana’s limits were more restrictive than the rest of the U.S. On October 29, MBER agreed to review Teck’s appeal. This means that over the next months, the selenium limits will be reviewed followed by a public comment period.

Teck was fined $60 million in March because of selenium pollution. Despite this, Teck continues to try to derail protective efforts in the U.S. all while attempting to expand their mines.

The Kootenai River is a special place, and it deserves special protections as a transboundary water.

If you are interested in learning more, please join  for a discussion about Canada’s lack of environmental regulation and how this impacts U.S. waters. The meeting is Nov. 10, 6-7 p.m. Register at idahoconservation.org/events.

BECCA RODACK

Sandpoint