A strong majority of British Columbians say mining companies should pay for the cost of cleaning up their pollution, a new poll has found.
Casey Brennan, Wildsight’s conservation director, said in a statement that the numbers are “unsurprising” when considering many B.C. residents are struggling financially. A trace element for life, too much selenium is toxic and can be especially damaging for egg-laying creatures, such as fish and birds. By filling the role of sulphur in proteins, selenium is known to trigger deformities, though biologists say its spectrum of effects is not clear.
The report focused on four metallurgical coal mines owned by Teck Resources, a company that has been penalized on multiple occasions for exceeding Canadian water standards . Teck is in the process of selling a majority of shares in the coal mines to Swiss-based Glencore for $9.4 billion.