The Tahltan Central Council is the central administrative governing body for the Iskut Band and Tahltan Band in northern BC.

It represents approximately 5000 members of the Tahltan Nation living on and off reserve.

The TCC released a statement on Thursday accusing Premier Christy Clark and her cabinet of ignoring the Liberals’ official platform document promising to “work with communities, First Nations and industry to examine the feasibility of developing a provincially designated protected area in the Klappan”

The planned Arctos anthracite project would cover about 4000 hectares in the so-called Sacred Headwaters of the Klappan in northwest BC.

If approved the mine would produce an estimated 3 million tons per annum of anthracite coal over a 25-year life span.

The project is a joint venture between Fortune Coal and a subsidiary of South Korea’s POSCO, one of the world’s largest steel producers.

Last week, federal Environment Minister Peter Kent granted BC the right to conduct an environmental assessment on behalf of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, meaning that only the BC Environmental Assessment Office would assess the project and conduct required aboriginal consultations instead of the assessments that usually occur at both a provincial and federal level.

"We were very disheartened by the BC government's attempt to fast-track the environmental review of this ecologically and culturally destructive Arctos coal mine project,” TCC president Annita McPhee said on Friday.

"It appears to be at odds with the premier's election pledge to work on protecting the Klappan."

When granting the substitution, the Minister added conditions requiring the BC EAO to “conduct procedural aspects of Aboriginal consultation in accordance with the process set out in the memorandum of understanding” and make funding available to the group to support the consultation process.

The Tahltan people have opposed mining in the region for decades.

McPhee said that last December, after years of roadblocks, protests and international attention, the group managed to convince Shell Oil to abandon its plans for coal bed methane extraction in the region.

“The Klappan is sacred to the Tahltan people," McPhee said.

“Our people practice our hunting, fishing and traditional cultural activities there. It's why we're fighting so hard to protect it.”

McPhee said Ottawa should never have “offloaded" its role in reviewing resource developments to the BC government alone.

"Canada has a responsibility to consult with our nation and recognize, respect and protect our aboriginal title and rights,” McPhee said.

“It cannot do this by delegating its consultation and environmental assessment responsibilities to the BC government.”

In response, Environment Ministry spokesman Suntanu Dalal told the Vancouver Sun that the province would establish a provincial round table of representatives from communities, industry, labour, First Nations and the environmental community “to provide guidance to government on how to balance the need to protect important parts of the environment with the need to create jobs and wealth” in BC.