Mayor and Council
District of Tofino
PO Box 9 - 121 Third St
Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0

May 8, 2008
Re: Potential Mining of Catface Mountain
Mayor and Council,

The Tofino chapter of the Surfrider Foundation respectfully requests that Mayor and Council take a public stand against any potential mining of Catface Mountain, and against exploratory drilling.
The Surfrider Foundation is an organization;?"…dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, ?waves and beaches for all people".
Surfrider Tofino Canada is a registered Canadian charity based in Tofino. We are entirely volunteer-run and rely on grassroots fundraising activities to support our various community initiatives.
We are opposed to any potential mining of Catface Mountain. Here is one of the principles Surfrider Foundation has adopted to guide and govern the activities of the organization:

1. SURFRIDER recognizes the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the planet's coasts are necessary and irreplaceable. SURFRIDER is committed to preserving natural living and non-living diversity and ecological integrity of the coastal environment.

We feel that any mining activity on Catface mountain would pollute our ocean waters and would adversely affect the ecological integrity of our the coastal environment.

We are requesting that Council write a letter to Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy and Mines, expressing Council's opposition to mining on Catface and requesting that the provincial government not approve any exploratory drilling permits for Catface.

We also feel these points are very valid reasons to oppose the mining of Catface:

-Catface contains low grade copper, 0.4%, which means 99.6% of ore is waste and ends up as tailings

-volume of tailings would be in the order of 103 to 250 million cubic metres (123 to 300 million tonnes) (tailings = pulverized ore that remains after minerals are extracted)

-total volume of waste rock could be 110 to 170 million cubic metres (198 to 306 million tonnes) (waste rock = rock that has to be stripped off in order to reach the copper ore)

-a dam 50 to 80 metres high will be required to hold the tailings pond. Due to the area's high rainfall, it is unlikely the dam will contain the pond, and is susceptible to the seismic activity common along the coast and possible tsunami risks

-the main deposit extends to 350 metres depth, so at least the top 350 metres (1,150 feet) of Catface Mt would be removed height of Catface is 962 metres (North Peak) and 800 metres (South Peak)

-mining of Irishman Creek and Hecate Bay Zones would increase mines footprint

-due to high rainfall (3.3 metres annually), there is an issue of run off from open-pit mine and its effect on water volume and water quality in streams that encircle Catface.

-issue of heavy metal and sulphuric acid leaching: water drainage may be acid rock drainage, or neutral drainage containing copper, or possibly alkaline drainage containing molybdenum

- additional required infrastructure: deep water port, ore processing plant, office, maintenance facilities, power from diesel generators

-continuous noise and dust (mine operates non-stop, 24/7), night lighting, extraction machinery and massive trucks

-will be seen and heard from Ahousaht (3 km west of Catface) and Tofino (13 km south), Ahousaht will also get dust

-shipping will have to go through deep channels around the north side of Flores Island, in pristine waters

-the lifestyles and activities of idle mine-workers on leave from weeks spent at camp may not be compatible with the experience tourist destination guests come to expect

Please feel free to contact us regarding this request.

Sincerely,

Surfrider Foundation - Tofino Chapter Executive Committee
Louise Rodgers
Ron Weeks
Dawn Alex