EPA battles Canadian company over pollution

[ConcernedCanuk]

. . "Spokane, Wash. — It is not often that the United States serves as a dumping ground for a foreign factory, but that is what the EPA says is happening in the remote northeastern corner of Washington.

The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to force a Canadian company to clean up decades of toxic smelter waste that have flowed down the Columbia River into Lake Roosevelt."

/snip/

"This month, the U.S. agency formally warned Teck Cominco that it should agree to the agency's demands or prepare to be sued. The company replied that the U.S. effort could backfire, with U.S. companies finding themselves in legal trouble with Canada over cross-border pollution.

/snip/

The company replied that the U.S. effort could backfire, with U.S. companies finding themselves in legal trouble with Canada over cross-border pollution.

. . open another can of worms ?? why not - here we go again ?

However the article goes on to say:

"The only other time the United States has collected from a Canada company for cross-border pollution involved the same Trail-based smelter operation.

In 1938, an international tribunal ruled that British Columbia and Cominco Ltd. were responsible for crop damage to Northport-area farmers from smelter emissions. The U.S. government eventually collected $428,000.

/snip/

almost 1/2 a mil in '38 - that's serious coin !!
AND just when BC and the USA were getting so "friendly" ?

[La_Serpiente]

1. Blame Canada

Blame Canada!!! This is a Wag the Dog in my view. Why? Well, the EPA is overturning all the environmental laws in the US, but they are going after Canada? I thank them for doing this, and maybe there really is a problem, but I think they are just trying to deflect attention from their recent mishaps. Pretty soon, you will have Bush saying that Canada is to blame for all of America's environmental problems. :eyes:

[Spazito]

2. Cominco is a great company for jobs, not so great for the environment

this has been pretty big news where I live and I will be interested in seeing how it all plays out.

[Tempest]

3. More U.S. hypocrisy

The U.S. plans to build an electrical plant in the Sumas area of Washington state and the water run-off will pollute Canadian streams.

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. Don't furget the "drilling" they wanna do in Alaska

. . I'm sure they will "relax" a regulation or two

and years down the road, well you know - it'll be too late then

(sigh)

[Name removed]

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