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TUESDAY MARCH 6, 2012
Vacuum regulator failed at pool
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VOL. 82. No. 19
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Teacher strike begins
Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer A failed vacuum regulator is believed to have caused the chlorine gas release at the Sam Ketcham Pool Sunday, Feb. 26, said the City of Williams Lake during a press conference Friday. According to the city’s preliminary investigations, the failed regulator allowed chlorine gas to fill water delivery pipes and the filter system. At around 8:15 a.m. on the day of the leak, the wading pool was being refilled with water in anticipation of a public swim later that day. See LEAK Page A2
Inside the Tribune NEWS A3 RCMP reports include assaults, B&Es. SPORTS A8 Stamps drop final in Smithers. COMMUNITY A13 Chilcotin War depicted in art. Weather outlook: Sunny then cloudy today, high of –3 C today. Cloudy Wednesday, high of 9 C.
Monica Lamb-Yorski photo
Teachers were out picketing in Williams Lake Monday including this group outside of Columneetza Secondary School. The legal strike continues through to Wednesday.
Taseko files claim against committee Western Wilderness Committee and its outreach director accused of defamation Monica Lamb-Yorski Tribune Staff Writer Taseko Mines Limited filed a Notice of Civil Claim against the Western Canada Wilderness Committee Thursday in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, accusing it and its outreach director of defamation. The claim accuses the committee and outreach director Sven Biggs for “a series of false and defamatory statements concerning Taseko and its proposed New Prosperity Gold-Copper Project.” Taseko’s vice president of corporate affairs, Brian Battison, told the Tribune the company is defending the facts around the project. “There’s no place for false or misleading information so that’s what we’re standing up for. The WWC is an influential powerful
organization. They have 60,000 plus members,” Battison said Monday, adding WWC should be held to the same standards of responsible conduct as Taseko is being held. Battison said Taseko has gone to great lengths to get the facts out to the people. “That’s why we created the micro site New Prosperity Mine Project; it’s a place where people can find the facts. We created it for open discussion and if you go to it you will see all sorts of people that are opposed to the project or concerned about this or that and they can ask those questions and get the facts,” Battison said, adding the company is encouraging informed public debate. The company feels, he added, that actions by WCC are discrediting Taseko’s credibility. WCC, he alleged, has communicated false and misleading in-
formation to its membership and has encouraged the membership to write to the federal government and express concern, based on the false information. “Many of their members did that and now that false information exists and lives on the Canada Environmental Assessment Agency website. When the public and people that are interested in the project are trying to make their minds up it’s important they get accurate information and the true facts,” Battison said. Taseko asked WWC to correct the record and set it straight and so far they’ve failed to do so, Battison said. Russell Hallbauer, CEO of Taseko, issued a statement Thursday stating the company has not taken the course of action lightly. “We have filed this notice of civil claim only after repeated
requests to the Western Canada Wilderness Committee to correct the record were not satisfactorily addressed. Taseko has expended considerable resources and effort to minimize the environmental impact of New Prosperity and we remain committed to developing an efficient, sustainable and responsible mine.” The Wilderness Committee has also issued a statement following Taseko’s claim. “We are very disappointed that this mining company has chosen litigation instead of fair and open public debate,” said Joe Foy, national campaign director for the Wilderness Committee in a news release. “We believe this court action stifles fair comment about Taseko’s environmentally risky mine proposal. See ABOUT Page A3