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Government renews Prosperity Mine certificate

After Minister of Environment Mary Polak renewed Taseko Mines Ltd.’s environmental assessment certificate for the Prosperity Mine.
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Chilcotin chiefs

After Minister of Environment Mary Polak renewed Taseko Mines Ltd.’s environmental assessment certificate for the Prosperity Mine Wednesday, Tsilhqot’in National Government tribal chair Chief Joe Alphonse said the move is a slap in the face.

“You can expect us to legally challenge the decision,” Alphonse told the Tribune. “The government did not come close to accommodating. That should be a joint-file approval process and that didn’t happen or occur as far as we’re concerned.”

Last June the Supreme Court of Canada in a unanimous decision granted the Tsilhqo’tin title to more than 1,750 square kilometres of land in the Nemiah Valley.

Alphonse alleged the provincial government is questioning the decision by renewing the environmental assessment certificate.

“I guess it was the first test and we will be looking at exploring that.”

However, ministry spokesperson Dave Crebo said the environmental assessment office consulted with the TNG and the Northern Secwepemc communities [Esk’etemc (Alkali) First Nation; Llenlleney’ten (High Bar) First Nation; Stswecem’c Xgat’tem (Canoe Creek) First Nation; T’exelc (Williams Lake) Indian Band; and Xatśūll (Soda Creek) First Nation] about the extension request.

“The environmental assessment office considered new information that has become available since the environmental assessment certificate was issued in 2010, and took into account the recent Tsilhqot’in decision,” Crebo stated in an e-mailed response, adding the area in which the project will be located is not in the area where Aboriginal title was established in the Tsilhqot’in decision, although it is an area of certain established Aboriginal rights for the Tsilhqot’in Nation.

“We are working in partnership with the Tsilhqot’in National Government, on a reconciliation agreement to implement the court decision, redress past wrongs, and build a more effective government-to-government relationship,” Crebo said. “Our work on the reconciliation agreement includes exploring how we can improve collaboration on future development decisions.”

Taseko was granted the original certificate to build an open-pit mine capable of producing 70,000 tonnes of ore a day during a 20-year mine life on Jan. 14, 2010.

On Thursday the company issued a press release saying it was pleased with the renewal.

“In arriving at their decision it is clear that significant work was undertaken by the provincial government to meet their obligations and to properly consider the full range of relevant factors, and we appreciate that effort,” Russell Hallbauer, President and CEO of Taseko Mines Ltd. stated.

“This is truly a world-class deposit capable of making a lasting contribution to B.C. and Canada. It deserves special effort now to make it a reality,” added Mr. Hallbauer. “We will continue to work with governments at all levels and with our First Nations neighbours to find ways to shape the project and move it forward in a manner that delivers the greatest possible value to the broadest number of people.”

The mine project was rejected by the federal government after two environmental assessments.

Federal Minister of the Environment Leona Aglukkaq, in a statement issued February 2014, concluded the proposed controversial gold-copper mine project was likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects that could not be mitigated.



Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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