The Columbia

[fish stalker]

That must be one strong butt river to produce good runs and deal with this crap.




The Canadian Press

Published Monday, Sep. 10, 2012 10:14AM PDT

A Vancouver-based resource company has admitted effluent from its mining and smelting operations in southeast B.C. has polluted the Columbia River across the U.S. border in Washington state for more than 100 years.
Teck Resources Ltd. (TSX:TCK.A) says its subsidiary, Teck Metals, has entered into an agreement with American plaintiffs in civil court proceedings over environmental damage caused by the effluent discharges, which date back to 1895.
The company says the agreement states that some hazardous materials in the slag discharged from Teck's operations in Trail, B.C., ended up in the Upper Columbia River in the U.S.
Teck says the agreement is expected to lead to a court judgment in favour of the plaintiffs in which the company is found liable for any damage, with the condition of the river to be assessed by Teck under a 2006 agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The assessment is expected to be completed in 2015 and will be used in subsequent court proceedings to determine if Teck must pay any costs.
Teck says current studies have shown water in the Upper Columbia River meets the proper quality standards in both Canada and the U.S., beaches are safe for recreational activities, and fish in the river are as safe or safer to eat than fish in other waterways in Washington state.


Read more: http://bc.ctvnews.ca/mining-company-admits-to-polluting-u-s-waters-1.949845#ixzz26QEqWeiN



http://bc.ctvnews.ca/mining-company-admits-to-polluting-u-s-waters-1.949845

 

[Big Green Machine]

The impact of the pollution is mostly downstream from Trail, in Northern Washington, and Salmon and Steelhead have been long gone that high up for a long time. It was the American dams that prevented anadromous fish in the upper reaches.

 

[reelfast]

yep, grand coulee killed off the hundred pounders bound for BC waters and spawning. my understanding is there was a run of hundred pounders that used the Elwha as well. right now, wild steelhead, 30"ers, spawing about the now gone lower dam. chinook spawing just below the upper dam which is half way down. this is going to be interesting so long as the tribe is held in check with their dam hatchery zombies..

 

[wstcoaster]

i understand the elwa had the largest salmon in pacific northwest; spawning pair observed in upper river this month also steelhead;