US and Canada announced collaboration on reducing river pollution

Environmental groups in Montana and Idaho filed a request for judicial review

On Monday, the United States and Canada announced their mutual agreement to collaborate in addressing water pollution issues stemming from coal mines within British Columbia’s Elk-Kootenai watershed. A joint effort will be undertaken to reduce and mitigate the impacts of contamination flowing into Lake Koocanusa, a reservoir spanning the border and US rivers, from coal mines in the Elk Valley. To tackle pollution concerns within this watershed, both nations have requested the International Joint Commission (IJC) establish a two-year study board. Indigenous groups from British Columbia, Montana, and Idaho had advocated for governmental intervention to halt the influx of coal pollution, as reported by the Associated Press. Elevated levels of selenium, a concern for fish and fish eggs in Montana’s Kootenai River downstream from Elk River Valley coal mines, have prompted legal action.

In May 2023, environmental groups in Montana and Idaho filed a request for judicial review, naming Teck Coal Ltd. among the defendants, citing contamination levels from its British Columbia mines in US waters. In a joint statement, the United States Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen, and the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, expressed commitment to a collaborative, science-based approach incorporating Indigenous knowledge. Both nations, in alignment with the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, have tasked the IJC with aiding federal and Indigenous governments, alongside British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana, in establishing a formal governance structure by June 30, 2024.