City of WL Mayor responds to Taseko Mines's revised proposal for Prosperity Mine

From the City of Williams Lake:

Williams Lake Mayor Kerry Cook today welcomed the news that Taseko Mines Ltd. has submitted a revised project description for the Prosperity mine to the federal government.

“I’m very pleased that Taseko is moving ahead on this project,’ Mayor Cook says. “This new proposal keeps Fish Lake intact, and this new design proposal adds another $300 million to the already huge amount of expenditures we can expect to see the mine contribute to our economy.”

The new submission to the government reduces environmental impacts, preserves Fish Lake and its aquatics, and enables all mine operations and related components to be contained within one single watershed, an important feature of the original design.

“My hope is that the government will consider the large amount of information in the original submission in addition to this new proposal, and that a decision about how it will be reviewed is made promptly,” Cook says. “This project is very important to the economy of the City and the region, and we want to see it proceed.

“There’s an opportunity here to learn from the past,” Cooks says. “I hope that the project can move forward in such a way that addresses the concerns raised during the Environmental Assessment process.

“As always, the City is willing to work to bring all parties to the table to address concerns as the government considers and decides on this new proposal.”

Editor's Note -   Mayor Cook would be better off to defend the interests of the City of Williams Lake for this project and let others bring their own perspectives to the table.  It is clear that local First Nations and environmentalists will oppose the revised Prosperity Mine proposal.  Mayor Cook would also do her re-election bid a better chance of success if she quit being a "fence-sitter" and being a "hold hands and sing Kumbaya" Mayor and start being a Mayor who "defends Williams Lake and damn the consequences"

SBF