Editor:
Reading a recent letter about protecting the environment, especially the land claimed by the Tsilhqot’in, it is really wonderful there are such dedicated people. Forestry, mining and, as a matter of fact, all responsible levels of industry, including federal and provincial governments are listening. At one time industry could walk rough shod over environmental concerns.
That is not the case today.
That is not to say that some environmental concerns have not caused governments to go far beyond being reasonable.
Today, if you want to go back to nature as our forefathers and build a log house out in the wilderness, there may not be a building code, but don’t try installing your own septic system, without breaking the law.
One can expect to pay tens of thousands to put in an environmentally acceptable sewage disposal system.
That is a ruling from Victoria, where that city dumped raw sewage into the ocean for decades and may still be doing it.
On the positive side of things Canadian mining in the last number of years has taken great strides to be environmentally responsible and has evolved into a very eco-friendly industry.
Over the years, individuals found treasure in digging through old mining sites, and future treasure seekers will have to dig a whole lot deeper and not find much in today’s returned-to-nature mining sites.
The problem that many people see with the objections of environmentalists to seemingly any kind of new development is that some environmentalists forget that services, including pensions and social security, depend not only on economic development, but as well the cash flow generated at various levels within our communities by such development.
Prior to 1992 only 6.2 per cent of B.C. was environmentally protected from mining and other development.
Now an area larger than the whole state of New York or 14.8 per cent of B.C. is protected.
It almost seems that much of the objection to any kind of economic development is more based on a not-in-my-back-yard (NIMBY) philosophy.
It’s worth remembering the Gibraltar mine has been operating at McLeese Lake for more than 40 years with little, if any, impact on that community.
Doug Wilson
Williams Lake