Here is the latest on the proposed Cline Mine, just north of the B.C. border. Montana’s senator Baucus got Secretary of State Rice to urge Canada’s federal government to ask for a more detailed environmental assessment than B.C. requires. However, the government in Ottawa has not taken any action yet.
The article below in the Flathead Beacon shows the immense coal reserves that could drain down into Montana, perhaps ruining the North Fork and main fork of the Flathead River, Flathead Lake and beyond into Idaho and the state of Washington.
The potentially affected part of British Columbia and Montana are very important wildlife habitat are portions very scenic. The North Fork of the Flathead is the western boundary of Glacier National Park.
Cline Mine: What’s Next? Flathead Beacon.
It’s a lot of crap that B.C. protects their environment better than Montana, despite Montana’s many lapses. The Liberal Party government in Victoria, B.C. is corporate dominated and very hostile to the protection of land, water and wildlife. Note: outside the United States, the word “liberal” often means what would be called “economic conservative” in American political usage.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
Coal mine like in Kalimantan Indonesia… Kaltim Prima Coal and others company… Indonesia is a rich country with natural resources…
http://ngadutrafik2007.smandung.com
It is a myth that BC is an environment friendly paradise. I remember in the early 90’s, I had people telling me it was paradise, so I took a visit and could not believe my eyes at all the clear cutting hillside and mountain tops. It is ruined to what it must have been.
I had hoped that that matter would have had at least a little motion in the last month. It’s a very scary thing for the Northwest.
I live about 10 miles below where the Flathead River joins the Clark Fork of the Columbia, and that mess could eventually end up here, as well as farther downstream to Lake Pend Oreille. An additional concern here is the Milltown Dam cleanup just East of Missoula where there are tons of heavy metals that could potentially get washed down this way as well unless they really know what they’re doing.