Beneath the Surface: A Podcast by the BC Mining Law Reform Network

Episode Notes In this episode, we’re joined by geographers Rosemary Collard and Jessica Dempsey to discuss their groundbreaking audit of mining projects in British Columbia. Are environmental regulations really the bottleneck the mining industry claims they are? What happens when the promised economic benefits of mining—like jobs, tax revenue, and production—fall drastically short? Rosemary and Je...

Episode Notes This episode of Beneath the Surface features a discussion about the proposed Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) mine in northern British Columbia. If completed, the KSM mine would become one of the world’s largest gold-copper mines, threatening critical river systems and the communities that depend on them. Joining us is Rachel Gutman, a lawyer with Ecojustice, who is part of the legal t...

Episode Notes In this episode of Beneath the Surface , we sit down with Heather Hardcastle, who helped to found Salmon Beyond Borders , a campaign dedicated to protecting salmon and the vital transboundary rivers that flow between British Columbia and Alaska. We discuss the cultural and ecological importance of salmon, the growing threats they face—especially from mining activity in BC—and the Ind...

Episode Notes On August 4, 2014, the Mount Polley mine's tailings storage facility failed, discharging 25 million cubic meters of toxic sludge into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek, and Quesnel Lake. This episode features an interview with Douglas Watt, a resident of Likely, a community close to Quenel Lake. We talk about the essay Doug wrote for the academic journal BC Studies , reflecting on the imp...

Episode Notes In this episode of ‘Beneath the Surface’, we explore the impact of mining on water resources in British Columbia, with a special focus on mine tailings and their potential environmental repercussions. Adrienne Berchtold, Ecologist and Mining Impacts Researcher with SkeenaWild, outlines the impacts of mining on B.C.'s water resources, the threat posed by the numerous tailings dams tha...

Episode Notes In this episode of 'Beneath the Surface', we sit down with Jamie Kneen, Outreach Coordinator and Canada Program Co-Lead at Mining Watch Canada, to talk about the recent updates to Canada’s "critical minerals" list. The federal government has expanded the list to 34 minerals, emphasizing their role in fostering economic opportunities. We explore the implications of the gover...

Episode Notes As northern BC's glaciers melt, revealing new salmon habitats, these critical ecosystems face imminent threats from increased mineral staking. Tara Marsden, Wilp Sustainability Director for the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, discusses the complex interplay between emerging salmon habitats and the mining industry's race to claim these newly accessible lands. Tara sheds light on the urgen...

Episode Notes In this episode of Beneath the Surface, we sit down with Nikki Skuce, Director of the Northern Confluence Initiative and co-chair of BC Mining Law Reform, to dive deep into the reform process for British Columbia’s Mineral Tenure Act (MTA). Nikki brings to light the historical context of the MTA, its longstanding impact on Indigenous rights and land use, and why comprehensive reform...

Episode Notes This episode features an interview with Simon Wiebe, a former mineral exploration geologist and Mining Policy and Impacts Researcher with Wildsight. Wildsight recently commissioned a groundbreaking report shedding light on the staggering costs associated with reversing selenium pollution, estimated at $6.4 billion dollars. Simon unpacks the report's findings and discusses their impli...

Episode Notes We sit down with Francesca Fionda, a reporter from The Narwhal , to discuss the recent investigation she led into BC's mining reclamation funding. Our discussion focuses on the significant shortfall in the funds set aside for reclamation—sometimes referred to as the Reclamation Liability Gap. We also chat about the collaborative nature of the investigation (it was the result of a joi...

Episode Notes This episode of Beneath the Surface features an interview with journalist and author Christopher Pollon. We navigate the complex terrain of mining in British Columbia through the lens of his provocative book, "Pitfall: The Race to Mine the World’s Most Vulnerable Places." "Pitfall" explores the role of mining in our past, present, and future, highlighting how the...

Episode Notes This episode of Beneath the Surface features an interview with Gavin Smith, a staff lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law. The interview delve into the legal efforts aimed at reforming mineral tenure laws in British Columbia. Gavin unpacks the historical context of mineral claims and their impact on Indigenous lands and rights. The majority of the discussion focuses on the landmark...

Episode Notes The inaugural episode of Beneath the Surface features a discussion with BCMLR co-chairs Nikki Skuce and Jamie Kneen. We chat about the reasons for the creation of BCMLR, the gaps that currently exist in BC's mining laws, and strategy and vision for reforming these laws. Nikki Skuce is the Director of the Northern Confluence Initiative. Jamie Kneen is the Outreach Coordinator and Cana...