ATLIN, BRITISH COLUMBIA — (Marketwire) — 05/01/12 — The Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) has not yet made a decision regarding the Tulsequah Chief Project, which includes Chieftain Metals– current proposal to build a 122km road to the mine site.
A number of crucial issues, agreements and permits still need to be resolved before the proposed project will be moved forward for a decision by the TRTFN.
Two of the key issues that must be resolved are access to the mine-site and the completion of an Impacts, Mitigation and Mutual Benefits Agreement (IMMBA) with Chieftain Metals. There is serious concern for the TRTFN that several months of negotiations have failed to achieve agreement on numerous substantive issues.
It is important to note that TRTFN approval of the Atlin-Taku Land Use Plan including agreement on an access area through which a road corridor to the Tulsequah Valley might be considered, does not mean that the TRTFN has approved a road route to the Tulsequah Valley. A TRTFN decision on a road route to the Tulsequah Valley will only be made together with a decision on all components of a proposed mine.
TRTFN is currently reviewing the options identified by Chieftain for accessing the Tulsequah Valley, including Chieftain Metals– downstream impracticability report which assesses access by barge on the Taku River, and will issue a decision after the Joint Clan Meeting on the project.
The TRTFN Mining Policy is clear about what information is required to inform the TRTFN decision- making process and these are so far unresolved, namely:
For more information and updates on the status of this project, please visit “Tulsequah Chief Project” section of the TRTFN website ().
Contacts:
Taku River Tlingit First Nation
(250) 651-7900
(250) 651-7909 (FAX)