Descriptions Of The Issue
What is the main cause of the crisis?
Coal mining in Elk Valley.
Which specific chemical is spilling from the waste rock into the river?
Selenium
Where is Elk Valley located?
Based on the text, what is the specific range (in Ug/L) that the selenium peaks frequently reach during the winter?
Between 15 and 18 UG/L
What is the SRF? What does it do for this issue?
The SRF is the Saturated Rock Fill, it cleans selenium from the water.
What carries the selenium into the waterways?
Precipitation, such as rain or snow.
What physical deformities are happening to the fish?
High selenium levels causes trout to grow with bent spines and misshapen heads.
What mountain region is near Elk Valley?
The Rocky Mountains
After the treatment plants are built, what is the predicted level where selenium is expected to stabilize?
10 UG/L
The byproduct of coal mining that contains selenium.
Waste/leftover rock.
Which interrelationship was impacted the most during the mining?
The Natural-to-Natural interrelationship because of the selenium destroying aquatic ecosystems.
What does coal mining do to nearby rivers?
It releases Selenium into the rivers, causing contamination, which can lead to a decrease in the nearby fish population.
Why does the selenium become more "concentrated" in the winter compared to the summer?
Because there is less unfrozen water in the winter, making the ratio of selenium to water higher.
What do the high selenium levels do to the native fish in the Elk River?
The pollution poisons the fish, which threatens the Ktunaxa Nation’s culture and their ability to safely harvest food.
Who were affected?
Aquatic life, the environment, and downstream communities.
How does dumping waste rock create new permanent landscapes?
The rock mined piled up is massive which makes man-made mountains.
How many tonnes of waste are released during coal mining in Elk Valley?
Over 1 billion tonnes
When looking at the graph, what visual evidence shows that the treatment plants are working?
The green dots begin to "drop out" of the grey line
How long do scientists predict it will take for the Elk Valley ecosystem to fully recover?
Around 30 to 50 years.
How much selenium was removed in recent years (from surface water)?
Around 46% of selenium in surface water was removed in recent years.
Why were there terraced craters on mountains?
The people mining created these to get to the coal seams to mine coal.
Why does the British Columbia government allow coal mining to continue despite the selenium crisis?
It is allowed as it produces around 25 million tonnes of coal per year. Nearby towns also rely on this as their main source of income.
Instead of "skyrocketing," what will the future selenium spikes look like on the graph once the treatment plants are fully operational?
They will appear more like "rounded, lower hills."
How are Indigenous rights connected to the selenium crisis, and what actions have Indigenous communities taken?
Indigenous groups place political pressure on the Government of British Columbia and mining companies.