For Immediate Release      

Sept. 23, 2008 - Nak’azdli Territory (central BC: Goldcorp Inc. is again in the news for causing huge environmental damage in Central America. This is the same corporation that is backing Teranne Metals Corp.’s proposed Shus Nadloh (Mr. Milligan) mine at the head of the Arctic and Rainbow watersheds on Nak’azdli traditional territory.

This reinforces the Nak’azdli's concerns about the Shus Nadloh project and its impacts on its lands. “We are more determined than ever not to allow a flawed environmental review process, of which we are not a party, to repeat in BC what has happened in Central America,” said Nak’azdli Chief Fred Sam.

Guatemala’s Prense Libre newspaper reports that on Sept. 12, the Latin America Water Tribunal found a Goldcorp subsidiary – the Montana Explored Company – guilty of causing harm to the environment and to the people of San Miguel Ixtahuacán and Sipacapa, San Marcos. The Tribunal investigated accusations that Montana’s Marlin Mine has affected 10,000 inhabitants by causing wells to dry up and by detonating explosions to make wells inside the mine and ruled it is highly possible the mine’s slag heap is discharging acidic water and that spills could cause serious harm to communities near the Cuilco River and Tzalá River basins and to aquatic species in those rivers.

It held Montana responsible for damage to the environment and recommended compensation to the communities. It also called for independent studies to ensure that affected communities are allowed to participate in the investigation into the mine’s capacity to operate without causing damage to the community and the surrounding area. The Government of Guatemala was found responsible for failing to deal with damages caused by these high-risk mining operations, and was criticized for ignoring community petitions.

Last October the Tribunal found in Honduras that Goldcorp, through an open-pit cyanide-leeching mine run by subsidiary Minerales Entre Mares de Honduras, S.A,  was “guilty and must take responsibility for inappropriate use and contamination of water sources and for causing harm and risk to the ecosystem and to human health.”

Chief Fred Sam said: “In both cases, the governments were found responsible for allowing flaw mines to proceed and not listening to the legitimate concerns of the people who would be impacted. The Nak’azdli are not prepared to be ignored and to allow that to happen with Shus Nadloh.”

For more than 18 months the Nak’azdli have sought to develop a First Nations environmental review process with the support of the federal and provincial governments, and believe the Province has acted in bad faith by initiating the current review process without adequate consultation with Nak’azdli.  It hopes to raise the unfair and unilateral provincial environmental review process at the upcoming First Nations Mining Summit scheduled in Prince George on October 7-9. This summit will develop a First Nations mining action plan to help all First Nations engage with the Crown and mining companies to ensure their vision of sustainable development is achieved

Media contact: Anne Marie Sam – cell (250)649-8284 or message at (250)996-7171