To understand why we are so adamant the resubmitted Prosperity Mine project must be rejected, it is important to know the following facts.

It is worse than the original plan. The new funding is not for new mitigation work. At best this option would merely prolong the death throes of Fish Lake.

We know all this because Taseko Mines Ltd. told us so.

It is all on record. Taseko Mines' Brian Battison told the review panel, March 22, 2010, "We searched hard for a different way. A way to retain the lake and have the mine. But there is no viable alternative. The lake and the deposit sit side by side. It is not possible to have one without the loss of the other."

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency panel stated, "The Panel agrees with the observations made by Taseko and Environment Canada that Mine Development Plans 1 and 2 would result in greater longterm environmental risk than the preferred alternative."

TML admits on page 20 of its project description that "Option 2 is the basis for the New Prosperity design."

So by the company's own admission, and the findings of a CEAA review panel report the then environment minister called "scathing" and "condemning," this project has already been found worse than the one rejected last year, and cannot be approved.

It makes no sense to waste any more time or resources on this when there are more important and acceptable economic options we could pursue.

Marilyn Baptiste Chief, Xeni Gwet'in First Nations