Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has waded into the controversy over a failed mine cleanup in northwestern British Columbia, by writing to B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell to solicit his help.
Palin, who is set to step down as governor on July 26, is concerned that the Tulsequah Chief mine is leaking toxic waste into a tributary of the Taku River system, just upstream from the nearby Alaska border.
The Taku River is one of the top salmon producing rivers in Alaska.
The letter to Premier Campbell is prompted by the insolvency of Redfern Resources Ltd. and its Vancouver-based parent Redcorp Ventures Ltd., which were attempting to reopen the mine and stop acid mine drainage from threatening fisheries in the Taku River watershed.
When the two companies were placed in receivership at the end of May, Palin said this effectively brought to an end any near-term prospects for eliminating acid waste, which has been an ongoing problem since the mine ceased production in the 1950s.
In a July 1st. letter to the companies' interim receiver, Alaska Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin noted that Redcorp bought a water treatment plant and delivered it to the mine site at the end of 2008.
However, Alaska government officials are worried that the companies' financial difficulties will prevent the plant from being installed, and the acidic waste problem will continue.
In her letter to Campbell, Palin said she hopes Alaska and B.C. government officials will work together to remediate the mine site "in as timely a manner as possible.''
News of the letter follows recent speculation that the Alaska Governor is stepping down in order to launch a possible U.S. presidential campaign for 2012.
