The Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, along with the Minister of Environment and Parks have given the green light to Imperial Metals regarding its tailings storage facility.
The Ministers stated in a release, “As statutory decision-makers under the Environmental Assessment Act, we have the made the decision to allow the Mount Polley Mining Corporation to raise the height of it’s tailings storage facility dam by four metres to ensure water can be managed safely in advance of spring freshet.”
“The necessary permit for this work under the Mines Act has also been approved, the Ministers added, we recognize that there are significant concerns around this mine.”
Since 2016, the mine has been operating under significantly stronger environmental standards.
The Minister’s also noted the application to raise the height of the tailings storage facility meets all required regulatory standards and that this action is needed to for the mine to continue operating safely, providing jobs for hundreds of people in the area.
Approvals for this change come after comprehensive technical reviews by experts, including external engineers, as well as consultation with First Nations.
“What happened in 2014 can never happen again,” the Ministers stated, “Our strong requirements to protecting the environment are non-negotiable.”
– with files from Pat Matthews, My Cariboo Now staff
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