Study says Canadian coal mines put unparalleled pollution in Montana-bound waters
Study says Canadian coal mines put unparalleled pollution in ... Montana Free Press
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The Impact of Coal Mining on Water Quality in the Elk River and Kootenai Watershed
The concentrations of selenium and nitrate entering the Elk River and Northwest Montana’s Kootenai watershed as a result of coal-mining operations in British Columbia are likely without measured precedent, according to a new study authored by U.S. Geological Survey scientists.
Unprecedented Increase in Selenium and Nitrate Concentrations
The mining-related growth of selenium, nitrate, and sulfate concentrations in the Elk River, “are among the largest documented increases in the primary literature,” the researchers write.
Lead study author and USGS researcher Meryl Storb said her team perused all of the studies they could find on mining and solutes published in the past 40 years but couldn’t find anything “even close” to matching the trendlines in British Columbia’s Elk River, where selenium concentrations have grown sixfold and nitrate concentrations have grown by nearly 800% since 1979.
“The percent increase in the concentration of nitrate and selenium are some of the largest we know exist based off peer-reviewed scientific publications,” Storb said, adding that they reviewed studies conducted on mines in Appalachia, southern Idaho, and China.
Selenium’s Impact on Water Quality
Selenium has been a source of particular concern in the Elk and Kootenai (Kootenay in Canada) watersheds because it can cause reproductive failure in fish and lead to spinal, gill, and facial deformities. The element is an essential nutrient in small quantities but is toxic to egg-laying species including fish and waterfowl in excess.
Research Findings
- The study found that both Canada’s selenium water quality standard of 2.0 micrograms per liter and Montana’s more stringent site-specific standard of 0.8 micrograms per liter are “regularly exceeded on both sides of the border.”
- Selenium concentrations in the U.S. portion of Lake Koocanusa have not met the 0.8 micrograms standard for that waterbody since July 2020.
Impact on Aquatic Ecosystems
Rising nitrate levels can throw aquatic food webs off-kilter, contributing to algal blooms, which can threaten some aquatic insects and fish that feed on them.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has expressed concern that rising selenium concentrations could be playing a role in the recent decline of mountain whitefish populations in the Kootenai River. Exceedances in fish ovaries or eggs have also been documented in westslope cutthroat trout, peamouth chub, and Northern pikeminnow pulled from Lake Koocanusa for sampling.
Teck Resources’ Role
Teck Resources, which is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, operates the four largest coal mines located in the Elk River Valley. The mines collectively produced nearly 25 million tons of steelmaking coal in 2021 and were responsible for nearly half of British Columbia’s 2020 mining revenues.
Teck is investing more than $1.4 billion in water treatment technology to remove selenium from surface waters before it flows downstream. Despite adding new treatment technology and substantially increasing the volume of water it treats, selenium concentrations in the Elk River and Lake Koocanusa continue to rise.
Storb said the expansion of mining operations and treatment capacity limits are likely contributing to that dynamic. During periods of high runoff, Teck’s facilities are maxed out and unable to treat all of the surface waters picking up selenium and carrying it into Montana and Idaho.
Some of the selenium entering the watershed could also be percolating through groundwater, where it can later rejoin surface waters, Storb said, adding that she’d like to see further research into those interactions. Teck currently only treats surface water and has no plans to expand treatment to groundwater.
The Role of the International Joint Commission (IJC)
If the IJC conducts an investigation into mining pollution, all parties will have a common set of information upon which they can base regulatory decisions. The IJC could also recommend, though not enforce the implementation of, solutions to mitigate pollution.
In March, President Joe Biden and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to reach an agreement “in principle” by the end of the summer to address the pollution issue, but that agreement failed to materialize. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, has urged U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to press forward with a unilateral IJC referral — something that’s happened just once in the commission’s 114-year history — if Canada refuses to come to the table.
Tester’s counterpart in the Senate, Steve Daines, R-Montana, has taken a different approach, as has Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte. Both counseled Blinken against an IJC referral in letters penned during the first half of 2022. Daines cited a lawsuit over the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s 0.8 selenium standard (which is ongoing) and complications that could arise in Columbia River Treaty negotiations.
Gianforte argued that a referral would be “premature due to the ongoing efforts of Montana to collaboratively develop and implement selenium standards for Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai watershed.” Gianforte also wrote that British Columbia’s provincial government was opposed to a referral, a position that has since shifted.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 14: Life Below Water
- SDG 15: Life on Land
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
- SDG 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
- SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
Yes, the article mentions the following indicators:
- Selenium concentrations in the Elk River and Lake Koocanusa
- Nitrate concentrations in the Elk River
- Growth of selenium concentrations in the Elk River (increased by 581%)
- Growth of nitrate concentrations in the Elk River (increased nearly ninefold)
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. | – Selenium concentrations in the Elk River and Lake Koocanusa – Nitrate concentrations in the Elk River |
| SDG 14: Life Below Water | Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution. | – Nitrate concentrations in the Elk River |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements. | – Selenium concentrations in the Elk River and Lake Koocanusa – Nitrate concentrations in the Elk River |
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Source: montanafreepress.org
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