FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coeur and State of Alaska Ask For Supreme Court Review

Coeur and State file for Supreme Court appeal, but federal agencies do not.

Contacts:
Rob Cadmus, Water Quality and Mining Organizer, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, (907) 586-6942

The State of Alaska and Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation have requested the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Kensington case.  Although this legal challenge was originally filed against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service, these federal agencies did not file an appeal by yesterday’s deadline. 

Last May, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Kensington’s proposal to dump toxic tailings into a lake violates the Clean Water Act.  In August, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) committed to working with Coeur to explore tailings disposal options for Kensington.  These talks have proved fruitful.  Last Friday (1-25-08), Coeur submitted a proposal for a new mine plan to the Forest Service that uses “paste tailings” disposal.  If the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, it would likely take at least a year for a decision. 

“It is unfortunate that Coeur won’t let go of its proposal to use a lake as a waste dump when its paste tailings plan is the best, and fastest, option for getting this mine into production in an environmentally sound way,” stated Rob Cadmus, SEACC Water Quality and Mining Organizer.  

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