Petition for certification pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 of actions undertaken by Canadian nationals diminishing the effectiveness of the Convention on Nature Protection and Wild Life Preservation in the Western Hemisphere and the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean

A coalition of indigenous groups and conservation organizations petitions the U.S. government under the Pelly Amendment to investigate six mining projects in British Columbia (Tulsequah Chief, Red Chris, Schaft Creek, Galore Creek, KSM, and Brucejack). The petitioners argue these mines threaten woodland caribou, grizzly bears, and Pacific salmonids through habitat destruction, toxic pollution, and increased traffic on Highway 37. They specifically highlight the risk of acid mine drainage and tailings dam failures, citing the 2014 Mount Polley disaster. The petition requests a referral to the International Joint Commission to address these transboundary threats to Southeast Alaska's ecosystems and economies.

• Six mining projects in British Columbia—Tulsequah Chief, Red Chris, Schaft Creek, Galore Creek, Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM), and Brucejack—are identified as threats to protected species in the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk river watersheds.
• The mines are likely to cause 'takings' of woodland caribou and grizzly bears, which would diminish the effectiveness of the Convention on Nature Protection and Wild Life Preservation in the Western Hemisphere.
• Mining infrastructure and increased traffic on Highway 37 pose severe risks to woodland caribou, including direct mortality from vehicle collisions and increased predation by wolves.
• Copper pollution from the KSM Mine is expected to reach levels that create a de facto migratory barrier for salmonids due to avoidance behavior.
• The petitioners argue that mine proponents' mitigation measures are often unreliable, citing a study where 89% of mines that predicted low potential for acid mine drainage eventually developed such problems.
• There is a significant risk of catastrophic tailings dam failures, as evidenced by the August 2014 disaster at the Mount Polley Mine owned by Imperial Metals.
• The economic impact of the affected watersheds on Southeast Alaska is substantial, with the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk watersheds generating millions of dollars annually in spending and salmon wholesale value.
• The petitioners request that the U.S. government refer the issue of transboundary harms to the International Joint Commission under the Boundary Waters Treaty.

APA

Earthjustice (2017). Petition for certification pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 of actions undertaken by Canadian nationals diminishing the effectiveness of the Convention on Nature Protection and Wild Life Preservation in the Western Hemisphere and the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/letter-to-secretary-wilbur-ross-2017-09-26.pdf

Chicago

Earthjustice. Petition for certification pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 of actions undertaken by Canadian nationals diminishing the effectiveness of the Convention on Nature Protection and Wild Life Preservation in the Western Hemisphere and the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean. 2017. https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/letter-to-secretary-wilbur-ross-2017-09-26.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Earthjustice |title=Petition for certification pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 of actions undertaken by Canadian nationals diminishing the effectiveness of the Convention on Nature Protection and Wild Life Preservation in the Western Hemisphere and the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean |date=26 September 2017 |url=https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/letter-to-secretary-wilbur-ross-2017-09-26.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{earthjustice2017petition, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Petition for certification pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 1978 of actions undertaken by Canadian nationals diminishing the effectiveness of the Convention on Nature Protection and Wild Life Preservation in the Western Hemisphere and the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/letter-to-secretary-wilbur-ross-2017-09-26.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }