Seadna, this is the position of every large industrial company in the U.S. and Canada. Environmental practices and ethical values that would not be tolerated in their own countries are routinely flouted in other countries because of weak laws, local corruption, or simply because "no one is looking". Their weak argument stems entirely from that mindset. After all the only duty large industry recognises is that due to the shareholders!!
The Canada/BC Government is entirely composed of politicians who are largely ignorant of the environment and who only look as far forward as the next election. To them jobs are paramount and the environment and future generations do not matter and are entirely beyond their ken. Jobs now always trumps the environment in their view!
With the recent further weakening of environmental laws, Fisheries Act etc. up here by the Harper government you bet we believe "we cannot trust government to police Teck operations"! Such legal instruments as were available to stakeholder groups have been weakened and removed altogether and the playing field has been tilted completely in favour of the large corporation. After all, only jobs now matter!!