“Disappointed but not surprised.”
That’s the Tsilhqot’in National Government’s reaction to Gibralter Mines Limited pleading guilty to five offences under the Fisheries Act last month.
Chief Joe Alphonse, Tribal Chair of the TNG, says things like this are why they have no faith in this company…
i am just blown away and surprised that this company is allowed to continue to do business when people’s expectations and new mine companies that are applying to mining projects they have to adhere to very, very  strict environmental guidelines and yet here is a company that owns a mine and they do as they please
Alphonse says it’s not right.
He says the practice of industry regulating itself cannot continue and he is calling for independent, First Nation-led monitoring of the mine.
Alphonse says it is time for BC to force this company to sell to another company.
Brian Battison, the Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Taseko, agreed that the errors were unacceptable but insisted that they were also unintentional and clerical.
He says the senior environmental engineer was also terminated.
Gibralter had to pay five thousand dollars in fines and a restitution payment of 65 thousand dollars.