Energy minister tries to calm mining concerns in Alaska

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VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – British Columbia’s Energy Minister Bill Bennett is in Alaska today to soothe concerns about the province’s mining industry.

He says some in the state are concerned about BC’s plans to expand its mining industry, especially since last summer’s massive tailings pond failure at the Mount Polley mine in the central Interior.

Bennett says there’s an impression in some parts of Alaska that BC’s environmental standards, compliance and enforcement efforts are not as strong as theirs.

Rob Sanderson Junior of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has said BC doesn’t care about aboriginals and is up for sale to the highest bidder.

Bennett is scheduled to speak to a mining convention and address the government’s response to the tailings pond failure at Mount Polley.

He says he will also meet with Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who has expressed concerns about the province’s mining industry.

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