26 May 1998

Dear Concerned:

On Saturday, April 25, the tailings dam at Boliden Ltd.'s Spanish zinc mine gave way. Within hours over 4 billion litres of toxic mining waste had contaminated the Spanish country side, threatening the sensitive Donana Park. And already there are allegations Boliden knew it had a serious environmental catastrophe looming as early as 1996. Boliden fired the whistle blower.

But no matter how horrifying the Spanish images are, tragically it's not an isolated case. In three years, there have been three major environmental catastrophes at Canadian mining operations in developing countries. Despite compelling evidence that these disasters were preventable, little was done to protect the environment and human health.

"No reputable mining company responsible to shareholders and international banks for its financing can ignore environmental concerns. I and all my directors and management care as much about protecting and preserving our environment as any 'green group.'"

Cambior CEO Louis Gignac, 1993

Sometimes a feeling of helplessness is natural in the face of multi-national mining companies, but now you can help stop reckless Canadian mining practices.

In May and June, Qubec's Superior Court will hear a Motion to Authorize a Class Action lawsuit against Cambior Inc. for the damages resulting from a 3.2 billion litre toxic spill in the heart of Guyana's rainforest enough toxic waste to fill 25 000 railway tank cars. While estimated clean-up costs for the Spanish spill are as high as $2 billion; Cambior has not spent a cent to determine even the extent of environmental damage from its toxic waste. Like Boliden, this disaster could have been prevented if Cambior had cared. But like too many mining companies, Cambior's profit was more important than its environmental rhetoric.

NOW YOU CAN SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

"environmental monitoring programme was minimal even at the start of mine operation and its effectiveness only decreased further." United Nations Mission Report

This case is precedent setting. It's why we need your help. This is the first time that victims of an environmental catastrophe in a third world country have tried to hold a Canadian mining company to its word in Canada. Over 23 000 Guyanese live in what was declared "an ecological disaster zone" following the Cambior disaster. To date they have received a bottle of water and an apology. Despite a resolution of the Guyana government, there has never been an environmental audit to determine the full extent of this environmental disaster. If Canadian mining companies know that the only price to pay is a bottle of water, there's little, if any, incentive for safe mining practices.

SLAPP SUIT HOW FAR CAMBIOR WILL GO

But Cambior was not only ready to run from its poisoned legacy in Guyana, it also wanted to hide from its record in Canada. On August 19, 1997, two years to the day of the disaster, Cambior filed an application for a permanent injunction against Recherches Internationales Qubec (RIQ).

Cambior wants to tell the public to sit-down, shut-up and mind its own business. But the environment is our business, not Cambior's. Observers are comparing this injunction application with a U.S. style SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). SLAPP suits are filed by multi-nationals to use their economic muscle to tie-up citizens in costly court battles. It's a direct attempt to intimidate the public. But it's also an attack on your rights: as a citizen, consumer and investor to make your own choices.

"with proper monitoring and appropriate preconstruction geological information, the dam failure could have been predicted if not prevented." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Cambior case isn't just about corporate responsibility. It's also about a fundamental principle: he who pays calls the shots and when things go wrong pays the price. It's about establishing the principle that in a global partnership all peoples must have an equal right to defend themselves on an equal level.

"It is clear that the Omai tailings dam as designed and constructed was bound to fail... We are at a loss to explain why the design and construction of these critical elements of the dam, whose importance to its safety were evidently recognized and understood, were executed so inadequately."

Final Report on Technical Causation Omai Tailings Dam Failure

HELP !

Every dollar you give will go directly to winning this precedent setting case. No one is collecting a salary or a fee. There are no administration costs. Your generous support will allow the world's poorest to stand-up to Cambior and other mining companies and make it clear that Canadians want our legacy to world development to be foreign aid, not toxic waste dumps.

Sincerely,

Dermod Travis

PS: "Canadian citizens have a responsibility to other citizens around the world if we are talking about global partnership. And it is not up to us who are in debt, weak, trodden and really not equal partners in the exchange to defend ourselves alone. It's the responsibility of Canadians to do this.

Progressive, fair thinking Canadians have a business to ensure that their corporate citizens behave responsibly." Jocelyn Dow, National Committee for Defense Against Omai, January, 1998

PPS: The Motion for Authorization will be heard by Qubec's Superior Court from 28 May to 8 June.

IF YOU WISH TO MAKE AN ANONYMOUS DONATION, PLEASE SEND IT TO JAMES HUGHES IN TRUST AT MICHELIN HUGHES, 8250, BOUL. DCARIE, SUITE 170, MONTRAL (QC) H4P 2P5.

Phone:     (514) 281.1177
Fax:         281.13211
E-Mail::    pira@axess.com
WWW:    http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2651