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From: on behalf of Panel Registry Subject: FW: air quality from prosperity mine? Attachments: Williams Lake presentation - compensation.doc; ATT487459.htm; EAP Nemia Valley.doc; ATT487460.htm; Questions for Taseko Mines,Panel,BC.doc; ATT487461.htm; march 31,2010 SH .rtf; ATT487462.htm; April 7, 2010 SH .rtf; ATT487463.htm

From: sigfried Reuter<email address removed> Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 4:14 PM To: Prosperity Review [CEAA] Subject: Fwd: air quality from prosperity mine? Please find the forwarded letter on the air and water concerns. Kind regards Kelly Reuter Taseko Lake OutfittersPO Box 4232Williams Lake BC,V2G2V3Cell (250)305-6368Lodge (604)484-5174www.tasekolake.com

Date: April 15, 2010 10:29:34 AM PDT (CA)To: j.graham.veale@gov.bc.caSubject: air quality from prosperity mine? Good day Mr. Veale, I am sending you this letter I wrote to Health Canada in regards to the health issues of the proposed Fish Lake mine. I am concerned we here on the ground within close range of the project area have not been considered. We are a family of 6 and live within 3-5 km of the proposed pit mine. The quality of air we enjoy and survive in is far superior to any industrialized or urban setting. The impact levels that have been determined as acceptable or negligible are really outrageous!! There should be a baseline study of our present air

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quality including light, noise and pollutants in order for our family and guests health to be genuinely considered. Looking forward to hear from you. Mrs. Kelly Reuter Taseko Lake OutfittersPO Box 4232Williams Lake BC,V2G2V3Cell (250)305-6368Lodge (604)484-5174www.tasekolake.com

Date: April 14, 2010 10:58:46 PM PDT (CA)To: Carl.Alleyne@hc-sc.gc.caSubject: prosperity mine Good day Mr. Alleyne, I am writing in regards to the recent Health Canada presentation March 24,2010 in Williams Lake BC before the Canadian Panel at the General Hearings for Environmental Impact concerning the proposed Prosperity Mine at Fish Lake. I am aware you mentioned Health Canada's position of having no authority for decision making in regards to the mine and that in many cases it was stated that Health Canada either didn't posses the specialists or experts or knowledge to address all the concerns yet you were "satisfied with the mines conclusions in regards to air quality, water quality, noise quality" and determined the levels of impact to be negligible. On viewing your submission and its content in regards to adequacy of assessment of impacts of the project on human health I am very concerned there is grave insufficiency. If at best this assessment is for occupational health that is one thing. For example your desire to see a water treatment facility and downstream maintenance of a safe new level of contaminants vs present days pristine water is not enough to ensure safe health to local people. What about us here? I am writing this as in this entire study by BC government no where has the fact that people are living within the area of concern where high risk of acid drainage and contaminant leaching is expected yet Health Canada is satisfied with the mines conclusions? We live year round at the Taseko

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Lake Lodge. We are a family of six including 4 children aging 8-15years. We have a tourism business operating just 3-5 km below the mine site and within the range of air, water and noise pollution. I am alarmed we have not be considered nor consulted here. What about our air, water quality? What about the impacts to our existing sustainable business and social concerns? We also have guide outfitting within the project area and have no useful information to review in regards to food security. There has not been anyone on the ground considering the impacts to our life here at Taseko and again I am alarmed that government is so quick to side with business and overlook our health concerns. It is not enough to base the water & air quality on charts and studies from Vancouver or Williams Lake. We would expect a baseline of air & water quality be right at the lodge where we are and have been for years!! I have attached the questions and answers by the health Nurse from Nemia Valley Shari Hughson, RN following her presentation to the Panel on March 31,2010. I can say her remarks in regards to stress and negative health issues is having impacts within our own home and she's the only voice considering local health issues. Sincere regards, Mrs. Kelly Reuter

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March 25, 2010 Good day all, We are the Reuters from Taseko Lake Lodge. We have been here at Taseko Lake Beece Creek for 10+ years. We are the owner/ operators of the Lodge, guide outfitting territory and wilderness adventure tourism business (formerly the White Water Lodge which started in the late 1930’s). We are 200 km from Williams Lake and use Williams Lake as our main center for services, supplies, airport etc. Our regional taxes go here so we are considered neighbors & part of the extended rural community of CRD. We are about 3-5 km from the proposed Fish Lake mine site. Our closest neighbors are Roland, Udette & Jessias Class at Big Lake 30 km from us and about 10 km from the mine, and the people of Xeni Gwetin in Nemiah Valley 45 km from the mine as well as other wilderness tourism operators in the Nemiah Valley. We lived and worked in Fort St John, BC for 15 years prior to leaving the oilfield to pursue a different lifestyle and business. We mortgaged our home and sold our holdings to invest in the lodge and Guide Outfitting territory at Taseko. We are licensed by the BC government with a Guide Outfitters certificate & license to guide non-resident big game hunters according to strict regulations in the wildlife act to carefully manage and conduct our business with specific quotas through the Regional Manager of Ministry of Environment (MOE). The licenses also include a GAT license from Integrated Land Management Bureau(ILMB) for backcountry wilderness adventures and a License of Occupation (LOC) for our home, main lodge, guest cabins and camps. We also hold a grazing tenure through Ministry of Forests (MOF). And further the land we have use of where our property sits on today- lodge, cabins etc., is within the court case area for Xeni Gwetin’ claimed rights area. ( Judge Vicker’s Opinion of 2007). Our development at Taseko Lodge is the main base camp that supports & supplies our entire business for local ranch vacations, hunting expeditions, horseback riding & pack trips, and general recreational use including hiking, wildlife viewing, canoeing and a jet boat that supplies our camps along the Taseko Lake. The grazing for the lodge includes the wild grass meadows from Fish Lake along the Fish Creek and around the Little Fish Lake (NaBoss) with the majority being along the creek and the meadows around NaBoss to Wasp Lake and Wolf Track Lake. We offer mainly horse based activities and are essentially eco-based as we rely on intact wild spaces to offer high quality, real wilderness experiences. Our children are Justin (15), Jesse (13), Kelsey(10) and Kara(8). The kids have been a huge part of our business while we as a family live, work and play here in what we consider our home.

Justin could run this place by himself having worked along side his Dad for 10 years in woodworking & construction, mechanics , fencing, horse care, and guiding. Jesse loves baking, cooking and fishing. He is my head “pastry chef” and makes exceptional bread, wild onion soup and great fresh BBQ trout! Kelsey is our resident horse whisperer-a genuine horse lover! She walks talks, eats and sleeps with our horses. Kelsey went along on her first official pack trip last year and is looking for ways to squeeze her brother Justin out of his job!! Kara is our butterfly! She is warm and caring and enjoys helping each of us in whatever we are involved in. She is Kelsey’s lead wrangler and the 2 girls help out by handling and gentling the foals and yearlings and can ride any horse we have save the stallion!!Not because they don’t want to try!! Our environment, our lifestyle is an integral part of what home means to us. Our sense of place and belonging is a defining factor in who we are. L. Franklin, Lazuline artist from the Shuswap What gives you peace? Your home, your children, safety, rights, living peacefully with your family and neighbors, prosperity, security?! We share common values and needs. We are very aware of the impacts the beetle and plummeting wood markets have had on this and many forest based communities. We know friends who have lost their jobs, income and investments- their very homes and livelihoods threatened. We also know the feelings of uncertainty and fears about the future. The stress and pain of constant anxiety can bear heavily on your’s and your family’s health. (Where did that beetle coalition money get to?) Who from this community has been out to Fish Lake? Who from this community has known about or even considered the impact to our lives this mine will have? It wouldn’t surprise me that very few of you are aware of us living out there. I have a newspaper article from the Williams Lake Tribune as late as Thursday February 25, 2010 with Brian Battison suggesting the mine would be 40 km away from where anyone lives. If you have not been out and on the ground you have no idea of the level of destruction that is proposed. I am concerned that Taseko Mines through media is forcing their “prosperous values”- their desire to develop and “liberate this ore body”, on the local community and exploding the region into controversy- neighbor against neighbor. This is big money here. Big promises being made to all. This is played out in the newspapers with racial innuendos such as ‘native uprisings’; tree-huggers vs those with “prosperous” values or the Canadian Advantage of($) over the environment we rely on for life; small interest groups vs 70,000 people in the local area. By seeking support 200-500 km away from the

mine site the “local community of 70,000” supports this mine, but the people living with the mine are excluded and ignored . It sounds more like a politicians campaign than news. Yet in all this not one real investigative journalist has been on the ground to talk with us 3 km beneath the mine! Boy do we have a story to tell! This is not just the mining company but also the BC Government. The government experts have studied, wrote the reports and shared their educated expertise about the mine, the area, the environmental impacts to wildlife, water, fish, the social and economic impacts of the mine and determined it’s all good!! No residual impact!! Anywhere to anything!! Amazing! Yet no one, not 1 person from their whole impressive study or from any of the ministries we deal with has ever even had the decency to consider the huge and violent impacts this mine will have and has had on our lives and business here at Taseko Lodge- 3 km below, down wind , up & down stream. I don’t think this is asking too much of government. After all you license us, collect our fees and taxes. It was through this government we were given the impression that they wanted tourism dollars to increase, that it was worth investing our lives into this sustainable business. Or was I misunderstanding the latest push at the Olympics to sell BC as natural, beautiful, open, and safe?! Nor have they placed any value on our families health, happiness or well being. We have no lawyers, no group to speak for us, no outside funding, and obviously no support from this government. Yet the BC government will bend over backwards for the miners. The very licensing ministries for our business feel this mine is OK. The very points we have invested great time and effort in consultation for sustainability of the wilderness, conservation of habitat and wildlife, the need to lessen human destruction and negative impacts, and the need to improve or environmentally reclaim has now been cast aside. You now change the standards of use according to the user? Deals are being made. Lower taxes for the mining company... so the public and the very individuals who work for the mine will pay more taxes? Neglect of 1st Nations consultation and involvement - oh I know you’ve waved joint revenue sharing out there in the newspaper and even a Co-Gen plant at Hanceville, but now its the lake or the mine, or no Co Gen. Allow devastating impacts to incompatible industry without consideration for consultation and mitigation of the overlaps? These are your terms. While we haven’t even been invited to the table. You are now willing to destroy habitat, displace wildlife, destroy lakes and grasslands, kill fish, turn a blind eye at poor logging practices, allow an unsure future of water quality, and ‘pre-approve’ the lease of at least 60,000+ hectares of land to secure the mining company’s projected development. Yet our business has been active and existing here for over 75 years and we are denied a lease of

70 hectares over the lands where added security to this business would mean a more valuable asset- title, mortgage and increased development and local jobs. We are held back & held off from improving our business even to date! Why? BC government is willing to support this big business yet unwilling to grant us the same security to develop and move forward in our sustainable business. We were told 5 years ago it was because of ‘Native interest’ and ‘fish habitat concerns’ while other leases and titles within the area were approved. Or was it the mine all along?! In April 2009 Bill C300 was passed in Canadian Parliament. This private members bill would have Canadian government hold Canadian mining, oil and gas companies environmentally accountable and live up to international human rights levels. Sadly there are a few trying to get rid of this bill for the Canadian Advantage...where gold, money is more valuable than water or even in many cases human life! Not a proud moment. I guess Our Canadian accountability should start at home eh. Check it out MiningWatch.ca There would be no need to write this if there were no mine. We have already been impacted and devalued by the ‘proposed, prosperity mine’ let alone the real thing. Which besides being an environmental travesty will potentially harm the health of our family, hugely devalue our life’s investment and basically annihilate an existing and sustainable business for generations if not permanently. Since our first encounter with the mining company’s representatives in the Nemia Valley Taseko Mines has tried to downplay their impact and our existence. You won’t see our lodge mentioned in their lake-maker model. We introduced ourselves to them. My husband has made the approaches and attempts at communications. Sometimes Taseko responds. Well you don’t always get to choose your neighbors but you can try to live peacably with them... that is if you both want or value that same thing. The mining company boss has never had the decency to sit down and address our concerns of their impacts, infact absolutely to the contrary. We have been told, “Well instead of holding out your hand like everyone else buy a Cat and get a job.” Remember we bought out here to do the work we do now, not set up for mining. We have been told, “Well it must be nice to ride around on the trails but eventually you need to get a job.” That’s not real work what we do. We have been told, “You could take horseback tours of (the open-pit) mine.” We have been told, “These meadows aren’t really that good-they are only sedge

grass.” Thousands of acres of knee to thigh high grass feeding fat horses, deer, moose, & cattle -any farmer or cattleman knows the true value of this. So it would seem the mining company holds us in contempt for our chosen lifestyle and our business is not regarded as substantial or of real value... or just the opposite, they don’t want to acknowledge us because we do have such a high value and they are not willing to be accountable for their impacts. These impacts to date include huge access issues up the 4500 Road to Fish Lake and NaBoss during the archeology study with ATVs in the wet meadowlands, cutting open trails and plastic ribbon everywhere. Roads pushed to drill sites , blasting and increased activity pushing out the game. Increased traffic to area- everyone is looking for gold! We have even had visits from a fellow named PJ Chapman along with a young man from Gibraltor informing us of their ‘interests’ at the south end of Taseko Lake... so it seems it doesn’t end here. Helicopters flying over the lodge scaring the goats on Vick’s Mtn. Seismic blasting pushed our horses out of their home grazing farther and farther from the lodge into distant areas. We had to find these guys hiding out from all the action and this requires a lot of time and effort. This horrible ugly logging road (supposedly a trail to get in the drill ‘following the ATV tracks’) pushed through the forest & meadows we graze and ride . This was the most heartbreaking ride I’ve ever been on. Horses and animals cut off from the meadows and trails. We moved our horses out this winter in fear of wolves trapping them. This huge mess is not cleaned up. I don’t think I’ll go back up there; they’ve ruined it. And so a major loss of lodge routes ,work area and grazing. Not to mention the constant stress and anxiety we experience here on an almost daily basis. We are amazed and shocked at the amount of destruction that is now considered acceptable; incomprehensible. You must understand all of these meadows, everyone, will be totally destroyed during the process of building the new lake; stripped back and then completely flooded. This along with our concerns for air and water quality at the lodge, loss of wilderness values and workable area for our lodge based activities, loss of prime animal habitat for Grizzly that feed along the Creek in the spring/summer trout spawning, moose , deer, and all the wildlife we see and share this place with. So everywhere we go and whatever we do we can’t help but think about this huge mess and we see no concern or compassion coming from this mining company. In fact we are kept at arms length to dehumanize our cares, concerns and needs.

We are a contradiction to this mine. Everything we hold dear and valuable is being threatened and compromised. Our business will be impacted by the mine. Our lives already have been. Your impacts will be our loss. You may have “mineral rights”, the license and OK by the BC government to mine, but you do not have the rights to our lives. Neither the governments nor the mining company own us. Now we need to prove our legitimacy- our value- and hope this whole process is legitimate and that you all will do what is right here for all. You say there is no value to this lake-no real loss, while you have placed a huge value on this huge loss for your huge gain! Its the lake or the mine... can’t have both! I am not for this mine. I do not see the value in the destruction. If this mine can’t be stopped we all lose Fish Lake. I do not trust the mining company or governments for that matter in this issue. Neither has been straight forward and open nor conciderate. Both BC government and Taseko want this mine but at what cost? How about you? I am not against other people having work , money and homes. I am just not willing to have our family neglected and sacrificed here yet again. We are already living as a minority in our community and I understand how our voice and needs can go unheard and unaddressed. But I do not hold to the stripping away of our human rights , freedoms, and property for the greater good of government, any government, or huge mining profits. I will not live under a mine nor raise my children where their air & water are a danger to their health and basic human rights are at risk. You once asked me if this mine was my worst nightmare. I guess the loss of our lives here, our entire investment and future could qualify as that. But I think its actually one of your worst nightmares!! Because you are the cause of our losses and therefore they will be at your expense. After all this is about prosperity for all!! So think big.

Questions: Panel what will your role be in this process and

decision? If it is yes or no can Taseko just cast aside all your good advice and ignore it or sell out and ignore it? How are you involved in their accountability? Should we take a lawyer? BC Govt You obviously for many reasons are for this mine. But will you continue to honor the licenses and tenures , agreements and policies held by non-miners or will they simply be stripped from us?! In example further loss of quotas, loss of tenured areas, loss of grazing, and denial of your own written procedures and policies? Todate you have basically sided with the mines over all other operators in the area by allowing leases, licenses and tax breaks... can we expect the same treatment as small business operators? What does BC govt consider as acceptable levels of hazard & impact to our family and guest’s health?

Air and water quality What is our surety? Are my children to be your

guinnea pigs for heavy metal poisoning? What of our guests safety? Will the nearness to the open pit not require more stringent monitoring of pollutants, dust, emmissions, gases off the mined ore, water quality etc? A baseline of air & water quality from our lodge rather than using tables and charts from Greater Vancouver and Williams Lake? What of light and noise pollution? Considering the prevailing winds are north and south puts us in direct line of the mines fall out!! Water levels and potential flooding Will you be reinforcing the south bank above the lodgeyard and ensuring our safety and the continued safety of our buildings? Lake Will you be fencing off the entire mining claim area ensuring the safety of our working horse herd? Road Safety What of the road safety for our neighbors, guests and ourselves? The road condition and the huge increase in traffic will be of serious concern. Access Issues With increased interest in the mine/jobs there is a huge increase in mining claims, increased users to the areas trails and exploring the backcountry, and thus with increased human contact an increase in environmental destruction etc. What are your intentions at becoming serious stakeholders in environmental restorations starting with the logging mess up at NaBas ? Are the lake-makers now also meadow-makers replacing the 1000’s of acres of wild grass meadows which you have greatly undervalued etc? How will you contribute to sound access management of your employees? Tenured grazing 8 months/year With the 1000s of acres of meadows under water we will need to haul good horse feed, consider fuel, vehicle & tractor values for feeding year round, an improved and enlarged handling system and of course the huge amount of time to achieve this new method of feeding. This is a huge investment and involvement that could further impact the feasability of our present operations. As well as the safe fencing off of the remaining grazing areas.

“Real” Wilderness Values & Workable Lodge Vacation Routes We are concerned about here and beyond, not just what is presented on the pretty and colorful maps. It would include work areas in and around Fish Lake, Taseko Lodge, our trailsystems, grazing, hunting , guided adventure tourism etc. but also beyond to the south end of the lake where Norm Ringstad, PJ Chapman and the Gibraltor boy are speculating on. Damages and loss of revenue will need to be considered as this could entail our entire working area. What actually is the real foot/bootprint you will have here? Besides Fish Lake, Fish Creek, Little Fish, Wasp Lake, and Wolf Track Lake, Beece Creek, Taseko River as well as Taseko Lake etc the forest and meadows... where is the actual line?

March 31, 2010 Good day, Chief & Council, Panel, and people of Xeni Gwetin, Taseko Mines & visitors: We would like to thank the Federal Review Panel for involving us in this discussion on the proposed mine at Fish Lake. Your continued updates & invitation to express our opinions and concerns has been the only ongoing opportunity we have had to open and unbiased inclusion in this process. I would like to restate our concern that BC’s approval of the environmental assessment for this mine is hugely flawed and based on serious exclusion of the local people and businesses. This mine would seriously and negatively affect all our lives. BC’s approval at best is based on downplaying the concerns of people dwelling 40 km away along with dismissing the concerns of people living 3-5 km below this huge mine; don’t for a second think all people downstream are safe and secure. Not only our lodge and family are here. What about Tom and Alice up at Little Fish? They spoke with us early last year about their plans to rebuild Alice’s Dad’s homestead. They were hunting ,fishing, hauling water up out of Little Fish (Taseko closed off the water pipe that people and animals have been using for years), and they managed to get the roof on one cabin last fall. They also helped us out by keeping an eye out for our horses when all the sysmic, logging, and drilling activity had them all spooked. Or what of Ronnie and Marty Solomon? They told us a few years ago of their plans to return to the meadows around Nabas and started clean up work at the old homesteads. We personally have enjoyed what we consider a positive neighbor & work relationship with people of Xeni Gwetin. Taseko Lake Lodge has a history of employing local First Nations people (Jim Bullion & George Turner for example-Bill Woods 1951) as well as the employment opportunities we have been able to offer since we came here 10+ years ago including fence building, carpentry/ log building work, housekeeping, cooking, summer students and guiding. Many people in the valley we call friends. For the past 6 years we have been part of the Sustainable Tourism Protocol Agreement between Xeni Gwetin and a few wilderness tourism operators in the area in order to not only enhance our existing tourism operations, but also to promote/ generate Xeni’s own sustainable cultural tourism. We have went as far as offering partnership opportunity and even entertained the sale of our lodge to Xeni (& Stone) as it is such a compatible business opportunity for the people of Xeni. This is a lifestyle & work that they know! Horses, ranching, hunting, guiding, and hospitality. We have genuinely tried to make this a beneficial relationship here with our neighbors. When we submitted an application and development plan to ILMB for lease / title of the property under our buildings and holdings 6 years ago we were disallowed by the BC government.

By disallowing our lease, a huge opportunity for local economy, jobs, sustainable industry and community building has been cast aside. We struggle to get investors who want and need security; we can’t get a mortgage to continue developing or hiring; and have lost more than one sales offer over this mine. Which obviously, for the same reason, is no longer appealing to Xeni as a wilderness lodge. We can’t develop, we can’t sell, and now we are forced to live under a mine?! I am truly confused by the Province that professes to want to make a New Deal/ new relationship with BC First Nations turn down our proposal to develop this existing, compatible & sustainable tourism industry, and then give the green light to a contrary, limited term, completely- not-Native-endorsed, destructive & dangerous business plan 6 years after our denial & disallowance. Again was it the mine all along?! We still have serious unanswered questions and unresolved concerns. Including our health and safety right here below the mine: our water & air, overlap and incompatible activities, loss of work area, huge loss of grazing, loss of value , loss of security, and loss of future business income. Government knows we are here. The miners know we are here. So do First Nations. Which makes me a little more than curious as to why we were left unmentioned, unconsulted & unconsidered in this process. We are not dependent people, we don’t ask for anyone to take care of us here. And we don’t give up easily. Seems no matter what we try to do here we get stopped or held back. You start to lose hope and look for reasons why or a way out!! You lose your sense of belonging! Where do we go? We have 30 years of our lives invested here based on the surety of government tenures and empty promises? We are Canadians with no rights? Why have we been led on? You make your plans around us, for us, with our lives yet fail to include us or at least give us the option to say yes or no. Talk about betrayal. Seems we have more in common with our neighbors than just our living and working environment. We have a right to speak out against what will harm us and others. We have a duty to protect our rights and others. For when we are looking out for each other we are looking out for ourselves. If we all spent more time concerning ourselves with our common human needs and less on emphasizing our differences we wouldn’t need to worry about who’s got our back or who are real friends and neighbors are. We are all Canadians. What great privileges we enjoy! This could happen to you too! Again we say no to this mine and BC’s exclusion of us all. Sincerely,Kelly,Sig,Justin,Jesse,Kelsey,& Kara Reuter

Private and Confidential: Lease App & Business Plan ILMB- hard copy Letter of Disallowed- Tony Fiala-hard copy Lease App Responses- Monica Sutherland Letter of Lease Support -Xeni Gwetin Support in Action Sales & Training opportunity Pictures description & relevance Google maps Questions from March 25 General hearings Williams Lake

Questions: Panel what will your role be in this process and decision?

If it is yes or no can Taseko just cast aside all your good advice and ignore it or sell out and ignore it?

How are you involved in their accountability? Should we take a lawyer?

BC Govt You obviously for many reasons are for this mine. But will you continue to honor the licenses and tenures , agreements and policies held by non-miners or will they simply be stripped from us?! In example further loss of quotas, loss of tenured areas, loss of grazing, and denial of your own written procedures and policies?

Todate you have basically sided with the mines over all other operators in the area by allowing leases, licenses and tax breaks... can we expect the same treatment as small business operators?

What does BC govt consider as acceptable levels of hazard & impact to our family and guest’s health?

Air and water quality What is our surety? Are my children to be your guinnea pigs for heavy metal poisoning? What of our guests safety? Will the nearness to the open pit not require more stringent monitoring of pollutants, dust, emmissions, gases off the mined ore, water quality etc? A baseline of air & water quality from our lodge rather than using tables and charts from Greater Vancouver and Williams Lake? What of light and noise pollution? Considering the prevailing winds are north and south puts us in direct line of the mines fall out!! Water levels and potential flooding Will you be reinforcing the south bank above the lodgeyard and ensuring our safety and the continued safety of our buildings?

Lake Will you be fencing off the entire mining claim area ensuring the safety of our working horse herd? Road Safety What of the road safety for our neighbors, guests and ourselves? The road condition and the huge increase in traffic will be of serious concern. Access Issues With increased interest in the mine/jobs there is a huge increase in mining claims, increased users to the areas trails and exploring the backcountry, and thus with increased human contact an increase in environmental destruction etc. What are your intentions at becoming serious stakeholders in environmental restorations starting with the logging mess up at NaBas ? Are the lake-makers now also meadow-makers replacing the 1000’s of acres of wild grass meadows which you have greatly undervalued etc? How will you contribute to sound access management of your employees? Tenured grazing 8 months/year With the 1000s of acres of meadows under water we will need to haul good horse feed, consider fuel, vehicle & tractor values for feeding year round, an improved and enlarged handling system and of course the huge amount of time to achieve this new method of feeding. This is a huge investment and involvement that could further impact the feasability of our present operations. As well as the safe fencing off of the remaining grazing areas. “Real” Wilderness Values & Workable Lodge Vacation Routes We are concerned about here and beyond, not just what is presented on the pretty and colorful maps. It would include work areas in and around Fish Lake, Taseko Lodge, our trailsystems, grazing, hunting , guided adventure tourism etc. but also beyond to the south end of the lake where Norm Ringstad, PJ Chapman and the Gibraltor boy are speculating on. Damages and loss of revenue will need to be considered as this could entail our entire working area. What actually is the real foot/bootprint you will have here? Besides Fish Lake, Fish Creek, Little Fish, Wasp Lake, and Wolf Track Lake, Beece Creek, Taseko River as well as Taseko Lake etc the forest and meadows... where is the actual line?

From: sigfried Reuter <email address removed>Date: April 14, 2010 10:41:21 PM PDT (CA) To: sig Reuter<email address removed>Subject: march 31,2010 From: Shari Hughson [mailto:chn@xenigwetin.com] Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 6:01 PM To: Prosperity Review [CEAA] Subject: *****SPAM***** response to panel questions As requested here is my response to the question posed by the panel following my presentation March 31, 2010. If you have any further questions you can email me at this email address as well as my home address <email address removed> Thank you for the opportunity to present! Sincerely, Shari Shari Hughson, RN, BScN, MBA Community Health Nurse ?Eniyud Health Services - Nemiah Valley 250-394-7020 Ext 221 file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/mckeagep/My%20...06/FW%20SPAM%20response%20to%20panel%20questions.htm [4/6/2010 10:42:30 AM] Federal Panel Review The following is my response to the questions I was provided from the Panel. The bold section is what I was asked to respond to. Question: Shari Hughson 1.If Fish Lake area is not available, can the TNG still maintain a 50% source of traditional food in their diet? I do not believe they could. (a) See Section “Why can’t all of this be done without Fish Lake?” in my presentation notes. Some years yes, they could maintain this food consumption level, but other years when fish supplies, notably salmon are not available, the Lakes, including Fish Lake are necessary for food. Typically in the Xeni area, lake fish are at most 20% of the size of salmon. Therefore we require 5 times the lake fish as the number of salmon per household. A typical household of 6 people will catch, dry and consume approximately 200 salmon between Sept & May, and eat lake fish from June until August. Therefore, if salmon is not available one household of 6 people would need approximately 1000 lake fish for the winter alone. At any given time we have approximately 200 people in the community so this would require approximately 33,000 fish per winter season.

Therefore, every lake is critical for them to maintain 50% traditional food supplies. This is one example of many types of foods that have scarcity and abundance issues, requiring all the land to sustain them year to year. (b) See Section “Mental Health Impact of the Mine Proceeding” of my presentation. The Xeni Gwet’in are traumatized people in recovery, so their mental health is fragile. The impact of this mine proceeding will cause significant losses and emotional challenges for them. I believe the mental health impact will cause a significant portion of the community to become more depressed about their situation in life. Depression and anger are the root causes of dysfunctional communities of First Nations on other reserves. Currently, there is approximately 30% of the population displaying and seeking health care for depression and anger issues. As stated, 20% of the population has addiction issues, but some of these overlap with the depression group. Therefore, approximately 40% of the population is being supported with traditional foods by the rest of the community. I personally know every individual well enough in the community, and can fairly accurately predict who is vulnerable to the crisis of the mine proceeding. I believe approximately another 25% are very vulnerable to becoming depressed, if the mine proceeds. This would mean approximately 65% of the population are suffering from a depressive disorder. The symptoms of depressive disorders that are relevant to this discussion include “loss of interest in taking part in activities, loss of energy, extreme fatigue, and a loss of motivation.”i These symptoms would prevent people from hunting, fishing and gathering; and 35% of the population would not be able to sustain the level of food supplies needed, given that many of these people are in employed positions and unable to spend the time required to provide traditional foods. Community members due to past trauma have addictive personalities and with the compounding effect of depression and other mental health traumas, addictions would be come a far greater problem. (c) See Section “Perception” of my presentation. If the mine proceeds, the perception of contamination of the water, land, animals and plants is all pervasive. My experience is we will not be able to change this perception, even if it isn’t true. This factor alone will cause people to stop eating traditional foods. It will be extremely hard to maintain our current traditional food levels, let alone meet the Health Centre target of 75% food supplies from local sources. The

perception of contamination in the Xeni territory, will force people to go further from home to hunt, fish and gather foods. The compounding issue of depression will stop all traditional food activities. 2.What kind of impact will that have? Potential health effects? (a) The physical health indicators we have been tracking for the community include blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin (Iron), body mass index (BMI), and bone density. So, I believe the physical impacts of reducing their traditional food consumption below current levels, will cause increased blood glucose and BMI levels which cause diabetes and heart disease. Current diabetes rates in Xeni are 2%. The comparable age bracket of First Nations on reserve is 36.4%.ii Increased cholesterol, blood pressure, heart rate and BMI levels will result in increased heart attack and stroke risks. Currently we have 4% of the population with hypertension (high blood pressure), compared to 20.4% of First Nations on reserve in Canada.(ii) Hemoglobin and bone density are a measurement of nutritional intake of iron, calcium, and vitamin D. I believe these levels would be reduced compared to current normal levels creating issues with osteoporosis, tooth decay, anemia and many symptoms such as broken bones, tooth loss, infections and shortness of breath and low energy. (b) Mental health impacts are well described in the following sections of my presentation “Mental Health Definition – FNIH”, “Mental Health Strengths”, “Mental Health Weaknesses”, “Loss of Potential Model Community”, “Mental Health Impact of the Mine Proceeding”. (c) Addiction issues will increase due to the mental health issues of depression, the perceived losses and feelings of defeat and hopelessness, if the mine proceeds. We currently have 20% of the population suffering with addictions. I believe the community addiction rates would increase to approximately 50%. Very conservative addiction rates for other Chilcotin reserves is higher than 50%, so it isn’t unreasonable to expect a 50% rate in Xeni. 3.Costs to treat these impacts? Our current health care plan to build a self sufficient food economy is in preliminary stages. At this time we have not developed the community and business model we are using. Therefore, we have not done a cost analysis of our community self sufficiency model. This is a huge business to develop, with costs for capital assets, training, marketing, supplies, human resources, accounting and relationship building. The funding for the preliminary stage of discussion and community

consultation, as well as the food sustainability and mental health services and products we have already provided, cost us approximately $125,000. In addition the health care team provided approximately 800 hours of unpaid time to this project in the past year. If the mine proceeds the current health plan to build a self sufficient food economy would have to be reassessed on its viability, given the points I outlined in your question #1. The costs to support a dependent community on welfare, employment insurance, FNIH food programs would be substantial. The additional health costs of transporting patients to Williams Lake, Kamloops and Vancouver for specialists and treatment would be significant. We do not have the people or money resources to serve community members locally. Our current health budget would probably triple. 4.What would be the mental impacts resulting from the loss of use of Fish Lake / Loss of connection to their land, more specifically Fish Lake? See above question 2 (b) for information within my presentation. Also, the article titled “Addressing Psychosocial Factors Through Capacity Building, Health Canada, June 2005, summarizes my belief in what the community will experience for mental health issues, because the perception of contamination will be immediate and extreme if the mine proceeds. Their perception of contamination will create the same mental health scenario as if a true contamination occurred. Specific mental health impacts of the loss of Fish Lake are: � Loss of control � Loss of self determination � Loss of identity � Emotional challenges including: o Depression o Addictions o Suicide o Anger (rage) issues o Self esteem o Confidence o Apathy 5.What are the anticipated costs to treat these potential health impacts? See question 3 6. Can the current health center affectively handle the potential impacts? Absolutely Not! The financial and personnel capacity are having extreme difficulties managing the current health issues in the community. It is extremely difficult to locate health professionals and consultants who are willing to work in such a remote location. We are underfunded and understaffed. We currently rely on proposals for specific project grants to meet some of the demands we have because the health care money provided by FNIH is not sufficient to provide any

programming services. i Canadian Mental Health Association website: http://www.cmha.ca/bins/print�page.asp?cid=3�86�87&lang=1 ii A Statistical Profile on the Health of First Nations in Canada, Self�rated Health and Selected Conditions, 2002 to 2005, Health Canada, 2009

Siegfried Reuter Taseko Lake Outfitters PO Box 4232 Williams Lake BC, V2G2V3 Cell (250)305-6368 Lodge (604)484-5174 www.tasekolake.com

From: sigfried Reuter<email address removed>Date: April 14, 2010 10:37:14 PM PDT (CA) To: sig Reuter <reuters@xplornet.com> Subject: April 7,2010 From: Shari Hughson [mailto:chn@xenigwetin.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 5:45 PM To: Prosperity Review [CEAA] Subject: *****SPAM***** Submission Attached is my final submission of answers to questions posed by the Panel and Taseko in relation to my presentation of March 31, 2010. Shari Hughson, RN, BScN, MBA Community Health Nurse ?Eniyud Health Services - Nemiah Valley 250-394-7020 Ext 221 file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/mckeagep/My%20Doc...perity/Hearings/hearing%20registry/apr%2012/hughson.htm [4/12/2010 10:34:20 AM] To: Federal Review Panel – Taseko Prosperity Mine (Fish Lake) From: Shari Hughson, RN, BScN, MBA. (CHN for Xeni Gwet’in First Nation) Date: April 7, 2010 Re: FINAL Submission – Response to Questions posed by Taseko and the Panel to myself on Mar 31, 2010, during my presentation Submissions: (a) Initial Letter Submission – emailed March 5, 2010 (b) Presentation and Submission of Notes – Nemiah Valley March 31, 2010 (c) Initial Response to Panel questions – emailed March 31, 2010 (d) Final Submission – Further response to Questions – emailed April 7, 2010 (this letter) - I hope that someone on the Panel team can bring all of my submission information together for the Panel members to review, as I refer to other documents in each correspondence, including this submission. I apologize for the number of submissions / responses, but further information and insights have come to me since I presented. I gained insight into the type of information that is useful to the Panel and felt I needed to provide as much as possible to build understanding of the issues I presented on. I also felt I didn’t sufficiently answer questions at the end of the presentation due to nervousness, and feel better able to respond now. I also misunderstood and believed my answers to the questions needed to be provided at the end of the day that I presented, so I quickly rushed my original ‘response to panel

questions’ submission (emailed March 31, 2010). I have a lot of data and I believe I have very good insight into the issues in the community, and want to complete my thoughts through this letter. I also wanted to make the Panel aware that I am available for further questions by email, or if required, I can make myself available to the Panel for further questions and discussion of the issues I presented. I believe the health and social issues are too significant to be reviewed in a very rapid one-sided presentation, such as we completed on March 31, 2010. Section 1 – Further response to the questions I answered in my ‘Initial Response to Panel questions’ emailed March 31, 2010. These were the questions the Panel provided to me in writing at my presentation March 31, 2010. 1.”If Fish Lake area is not available, can the TNG still maintain a 50% source of traditional food in their diet?” See my submission emailed on March 31, 2010. Further to the info provided in that document, I wanted to add some information to question 1, section (c) of my response: Perception. What I failed to mention in my presentation, which I had intended to include, was that their perception is shaped by several things: historical Xeni Gwet’in interaction with government and industry; stories from other First Nation communities which have had industries move into their territory; and three, the overarching reason for their perception is their Spiritual Beliefs. Their Spiritual Belief, their Religion, is that everything in nature is connected. If you touch the water here you are touching the ocean. Therefore, if you destroy or contaminate Fish Lake, you contaminate ALL the rivers, streams and lakes in their territory. They also believe that nature has a ripple effect, similar to throwing a stone in a lake, the circle of waves spread throughout the whole lake and on to the shore. Therefore, if you destroy or contaminate the land in the Fish Lake valley, the impact is felt by the land, animals, birds and plants throughout a much larger area, which encompasses their current territory. They believe that the interconnectedness of the land and all living things means that you cannot contaminate one area without harming all areas. Therefore their belief system (their Religion) tells them that contamination of Fish Lake is contamination of the majority of their territory.

This belief system and their perception of spread of contamination was very evident in the presentations made by community members in Xeni Gwet’in. I hope that each of the community members presentations, including the children’s, will be seen as part of my health presentation, as facts backing up what I am saying about their perception of the impact on their land. Their perception of what the mine will bring is contamination of all their territory. If I can’t get them to drink water from a tap because they think it is “treated” (as noted in my presentation), I won’t be able to get them to eat their traditional foods from anywhere in this area. Their perception and spiritual belief of contamination of their whole territory from this mine, will prevent them from hunting, gathering, and fishing to the levels that they currently do. We will not be able to maintain a 50% consumption of traditional foods. Question 2 & 4. Health Impacts See my submission emailed on March 31, 2010. Further to the info provided in that document, I wanted to add some information to question 2 (b), and 4, of my response. Mental Health impacts. The mental health impacts were very evident in each of the community members’ presentations, and this was because of the threat of the mine coming into their territory, not the actual mine approved. I hope that each of the community members presentations will be seen as part of my health presentation, as facts backing up what I am saying about the impact on their mental health. The fear, sadness, sense of loss, anger, and loss of control was very evident in their presentations. These issues will be compounded tremendously if the mine proceeds. The threat of the mine and the Panel process has already increased the number of issues seen at the health centre of depression, anger, alcohol use and suicidal ideation. If the mine proceeds these issues will be as I described in my presentation, far greater and overwhelming for individuals, families and the health centre. Question 3, 5 & 6. Costs and Health Centre ability to manage the impacts. See my submission emailed on March 31, 2010. Further to the info provided in that document, I wanted to add some information to questions 3, 5 & 6, of my response. The health centre would not be able to provide enough services or the appropriate services required to treat

the mental health impacts of the mine coming to the community. We would be able to provide some supportive services for the physical health impacts as described in question 2 of my initial response to questions. Therefore, the biggest issue for the community members is they would have to travel to Williams Lake, Kamloops and Vancouver for the appropriate services. The impact of this is obviously the cost to the health centre, but more importantly, the health costs to the community members who have now been further displaced from the land. They are extremely uncomfortable in larger cities, especially for those who do not speak or have less confidence in the English language. When they are displaced from the community for medical services they lose their social support network, their traditional foods, their connection to the land, and the only place they feel comfortable and non-stressed. All of these issues further disrupt their mental and physical health, so this is why I do not believe the community will be able to recover from the health impacts of the mine coming into their territory. We can’t treat them here and by sending them away we will compound their problems, so they can’t win in this fight for their health if they lose their territory to the mine. Section 2 – Response to questions that were asked (not provided in writing) by Taseko and the Panel after my presentation on March 31, 2010. I do not believe I answered well enough at the time due to nervousness, and felt a better response was required to provide the info you were looking for. Taseko’s questions: 1.How do we know that 50% of their diet is traditional foods? In 2008, 120 community members provided one week food and activity diaries as part of our nutrition program. I reviewed each one individually with each community member who participated and then amalgamated the results into a summary for the community overall. I was also invited to go into people’s homes and go through their cupboards, root cellars, & fridges to explain the positive and negative aspects of the food they had. Our goal was to determine what people were eating, what they were purchasing at the grocery stores and what foods were contributing to the physical health concerns we identified at our annual health fair. The health fair is when we do screening for all participants of several key determinants of health

as outlined in my initial response to the Panel in question 2, section (a). During this process we identified the differences in dietary food habits of Elders versus the rest of the community, which was also reflected in the physical health results of Elders versus the rest of the community. The Elders have better body mass index (obesity scale), better blood glucose levels, better iron (haemoglobin) levels and better bone density. When we reviewed the food diaries, we realized that the amount of traditional food in the Elders diet, and their description of physical activities from when they were younger, were the only significant differences. The Elders were eating 75% of their diet from traditional foods, and others were eating 50%. This was the key behind our overall health plan to become self sufficient in food as a means to improve all aspects of health – physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual. We believed that the non-Elder population needed to increase the amount of traditional and home grown whole foods in their diet from 50% current consumption, back to 75% consumption. As an aside, the 50% consumption of traditional foods has kept this community far healthier than other First Nation communities, as evidenced by the statistics listed in my previous response to question 2 (a). If the consumption drops below 50% traditional foods, this community will have a substantial increase in the disease rates as seen in other First Nation communities, as listed in my response to question 2 (a). 2. What evidence did I use to conclude that drugs and alcohol would increase if the mine was here? Also, what evidence do I have that there would be an increase in people in the territory because of the mine? (A) See my letter that was submitted March 5, 2010. I outlined where I obtained the belief that there would be increased mental health issues, addictions, violence, abuse and crime in the community if the mine proceeds. That included: (a) Personal experience working in Fort McMurray (Page 2, section 1) (b) Evidence of increased drug and alcohol use as cited in several research articles as an impact of industry coming into Indigenous Peoples’ territory. I cited one article specifically in the letter, from Australian Aboriginal Studies, in the four supporting arguments for our belief in a change in mental

status and addictions. See letter: page 2, section 1; and page 3, section 4. (B) Increase in people in the territory is from personal experience living in the Sundre / Rocky Mountain House area in Alberta, Canada. My husband grew up and lived most of his life in the area. I lived 8 years in the area. During the time I lived there, the oil and gas industry set up rig camps and brought non-local employees to the camp by bus. What happened at the Sundre Hospital where I worked was an immediate and noticeable increase in recreational accidents by people who did not live in the area. The oil and gas workers came back to the area on their days off with their friends and families. They came to the area to camp, 4X4, quad, motorcross, snowmobile, and party in the area. The number of alcohol and off road vehicle accidents by non local people increased dramatically, to the point that a committee of health care professionals, RCMP and Parks and Recreation employees set up a committee to figure out how to reduce the amount of alcohol and off road vehicle issues in the wilderness area. Panel Questions: 1. How do I know the community is in recovery? I stated I didn’t have any statistics, that it is stories people have told me about their lives 20-30 years ago. I wanted to continue that statement with: stories are facts in this community. Stories are how they pass down their history and beliefs. Stories do have statistics that can be drawn from them, and I should have been more specific in my answer. Their stories about past trauma, past domestic abuse, and individual and family alcohol use, can be compared to the same types of issues faced today. So, although their aren’t hard statistics, data can be easily compiled based on stories from the past and statistics from today. (a) If you ask anyone over the age of 30, whether they drank in the past, almost 100% would answer yes. If you asked them if they drink any alcohol now, 70% of them would say No, none. This leaves about 30% of the population drinking alcohol today, and we also know from current statistics that about 20% of those who drink have addiction issues. The improvement in alcohol rates shows a significant improvement in mental health, as addictions and alcohol abuse are symptoms of mental illness. Some people may say, self reported alcohol use rates aren’t accurate, but I can accurately confirm who

drinks socially, who has drinking issues (addictions), and who doesn’t drink at all. The use of alcohol rates as told to me in stories about family members and themselves, show a dramatic improvement from 20-30 years ago. The use of alcohol is often related to issues of depression, loss of identity, and anger at oneself and your situation. Therefore, it is a safe assumption that there has been an improvement in these health issues. (b) If you ask anyone over the age of 30, whether they saw their parents physically abuse each other, 80% would answer yes. If you asked the children today, or the married couples today about physical abuse in their household, 20% would be the approximate rate. Self reporting of this issue is sometimes hard to obtain in a large city centre, but in Nemiah Valley, it is impossible to keep a secret in this community. Neighbours, friends, and family members do tell each other about issues and concerns; and these issues are brought to at least one member of the health care team. A reduction in domestic violence is often a reflection of depression and anger issues in the community. There has been a significant reduction in domestic abuse, and so it is again a safe assumption that there has been an improvement in the health issues related to abuse. 2. What do I believe would be an appropriate reconciliation process between the community of Williams Lake and the First Nation communities, after the review process is completed? I’m not sure what the process needs to be as this isn’t an area I have experience in. Some suggestions include: (a) Communication of the pros and cons of the mine proceeding from an objective, third party, who understands all of the info gathered by the Panel would be helpful. Someone who can present both sides to everyone in an understandable manner is needed to gain empathy from both sides. (b) There are experts who work in the field of racism and discrimination, and they should be part of the process. Their insight and ability to educate all parties on what discrimination and racism is, how it is displayed (overtly and covertly), and how to overcome it, would be necessary to the process. Thank you,

Shari Hughson, RN, BScN, MBA Home email: <email address removed> Home phone: <personal information removed> Work email: chn@xenigwetin.com Work phone: 250-394-7020, Ext 221

Siegfried Reuter Taseko Lake Outfitters PO Box 4232 Williams Lake BC, V2G2V3 Cell (250)305-6368 Lodge (604)484-5174 www.tasekolake.com