Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation Can Seek $9.2 Million in litigation fees and costs for their claim against Canadian Mining Company Teck for dumping pollutants into Columbia River

Refer also to! 2019: Teck reportedly rakes in $12 Billion in revenue 2017-2018; Teck, Suncor, CNRL take top spots in annual ranking of mining company revenues

1980 photo of Teck Cominco on the Columbia River, Trail BC by Frederick John Spencer:

Tribe Can Seek Cleanup Suit Fees After All, Judge Says by Andrew Westney, April 4, 2016, Law360

Law360, New York (April 1, 2016, 10:47 PM ET) — A federal judge ruled Friday that a group of tribes in Washington state can seek to recover certain litigation fees and costs incurred in the group’s claim against a Canadian mining company over pollutants dumped into the Columbia River, changing his mind after rejecting the tribes’ bid for the costs last year.

In November, Senior U.S. District Judge Lonny R. Suko partially denied the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation’s bid for $9.2 million in litigation costs, ruling that the tribes lacked enforcement authority under the… [Subscription required to read entire article]

[Refer also to:

2016: Teck Metals fined $3.4-million for polluting B.C.’s Columbia River; Encana fined $0.0 for illegally fracing Rosebud’s drinking water aquifers

Teck Metals Ltd. has been hit with what is being described as the largest environmental penalty in British Columbia’s history for discharging heavy metals and other pollutants into the Columbia River at Trail.

The mining company has been fined a total of $3.4-million for “multiple events” at the Teck smelter in southeast B.C., Marko Goluza, Pacific and Yukon regional director for Environment Canada, said Monday.

He said Teck Metals was fined $3-million for three offences under the federal Fisheries Act and $400,000 for two offences under provincial legislation.

Mr. Goluza said he couldn’t recall a company ever having to pay an environmental fine in B.C. of more than $1-million, making the total fines the largest ever awarded in one environmental case.

The seriousness of the pollution in Trail was highlighted in 1975, when tests showed elevated levels of lead in the blood of local children. Since then, Teck has spent $1.5-billion on programs to improve its environmental performance.

2013: Teck to appeal Washington river cleanup ruling

2012: Teck liable for Columbia River clean-up in Washington state, judge rules

2012: Teck Resources Admits Polluting Columbia River For 100 Years; Damage To Be Assessed ]

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