A proposal was announced by the U.S., Canada, and indigenous groups to tackle the pollution from coal mining in British Columbia that has been contaminating waterways and harming fisheries on both sides of the border. The proposal, to be executed through a century-old U.S.-Canada boundary waters treaty, would establish independent boards to study the pollution's extent and make cleanup recommendations.
Indigenous groups in British Columbia, Montana, and Idaho have been advocating for federal intervention to halt the pollution flow for over a decade. Scientists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed high levels of selenium in fish and eggs in Montana's Kootenai River downstream of Lake Koocanusa, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border. Selenium, a chemical released during coal mining and processing, can be harmful to aquatic life.
