"This version of the mine has already been deemed a greater environmental risk by the independent panel in 2010, and by the company's own statements in the last review," said Baptiste.
The Tsilhqot'in Nation has rejected claims by Taseko Mines Ltd. (TSX: T.TKO, Stock Forum) that TML's New Prosperity Project will "save" Teztan Biny (Fish Lake). The project is located near Williams Lake in central British Columbia. The Tsilhqot'in Nation has no doubt that this "new" mining plan merely puts the lake on temporary life support and would result in the same devastating cultural and environmental impacts that prompted the Federal Government to reject the original Prosperity Mine proposal in 2010.
"Surrounding a sacred lake with a massive open pit, one of Canada's largest tailings dams, and a giant waste rock pile, and then putting it at risk of contamination from toxic tailings discharge is not our definition of saving anything," says Tsilhqot'in National Government Tribal Chair Chief Joe Alphonse. "We saw in the last environmental assessment how far the company's predictions were from reality. The company said there would be no significant impacts. But an independent federal panel described a whole range of massive cultural and environmental impacts. This company has no credibility with us."
Xeni Gwet'in Chief Marilyn Baptiste said: "This version of the mine has already been deemed a greater environmental risk by the independent panel in 2010, and by the company's own statements in the last review".
For more details, please click on the link: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/956011/taseko-mines-pr-campaign-will-not-save-teztan-biny
Trading at $3.10 on Monday, Taseko has a market cap of $607 million, based on 195.8 million shares outstanding. The 52-week range is $5.38 and $2.45.