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Article

17 Sep 2018

Author:
Karina Brown, Courthouse News (USA)

US court orders Canadian mining co. Teck Metals to pay $8 mln. impact assessment costs to tribes in water contamination lawsuit

"Tribes to Recover $8M in Costs to Nail Mining Company", 14 Sep 2018

A Canadian mining company must pay the $8 million it cost the Confederated Tribes of Colville to dig up evidence showing the company dumped toxic wastewater into the Canadian headwaters of the Columbia River, the Ninth Circuit ruled Friday.  Teck Metals vehemently denied having dumped water contaminated with mercury, arsenic and lead into the upper Columbia River near its smelter in Trail, British Columbia. But the Confederated Tribes of Colville successfully petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate.  Based on the EPA’s findings, Teck’s U.S. subsidiary agreed to pay for a remedial investigation and feasibility study...The tribes sued, spending $8.2 million investigating the pollution and tying it to Teck.  Two trials ensued, and U.S. District Court Judge Lonny R. Suko entered partial judgment finding Teck responsible for the pollution...According to Suko, Teck’s leadership has known since the 1930s that it was dumping hundreds of tons of toxic wastewater slag into the Columbia River every day.  Another trial phase still awaits the parties to determine whether Teck’s pollution damaged or destroyed natural resources in the Columbia River...