Lawmakers hear competing views on British Columbia mines’ risks to Alaska’s transboundary salmon rivers

Juneau — The House State Affairs Committee on May 5 held an extended presentation and stakeholder panel on transboundary mining and its potential risks to Southeast Alaska salmon rivers.

State officials told the committee that existing bilateral cooperation with British Columbia has produced technical coordination and stronger provincial bonding requirements, but stakeholders urged more robust, binding protections and earlier involvement in foreign permitting. "The memorandum of understanding and statement of cooperation established in 2015 created a bilateral working group and technical teams," Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent‑Lang said. He added that Alaska and BC agencies now meet regularly, and that Alaska monitoring has not detected water‑quality violations on the U.S. side of the border.

Stakeholder groups contested parts of that assessment. Brianna Walker, director of Salmon Beyond Borders, said pollution events have occurred on the BC side and raised concern that some BC permits may allow discharges above allowable levels. "There are pollution events at the Premier Mine and other projects less than 20 miles from the Alaska border," Walker said, and urged the state to seek full reclamation…