Red Chris Mine gets green light from B.C. government

A gold and copper mine in northwestern B.C.that still faces angry opposition from its neighbours inAlaska has received approval for a full operating permit from theprovincial government.

B.C. Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett announcedFridaythat the Red Chris Mine, owned by Imperial Metals, willsoon be in full production, despite environmental concerns fromFirst Nations, environmental groups and Alaskans, who are downstreamfrom the mine site.

Those worries were magnified last summer, when a tailings pondcollapsed at the Mount Polley mine, another Imperial Metals-ownedmine in interior B.C.

• Full coverage: Mount Polley mine tailingsspill

Bennett said he's confident the Red Chris Mine, located about 130kilometres from the Alaska border, won't experience a similar breachbecause the tailings storage facility has undergone threeindependent reviews.

He noted the mine has operated successfully for months on atemporary permit while officials monitored the facility.

"I have no doubt ... that (waste) water is going to be managedcarefully, and in such a way that people downstream, including ourneighbours in Alaska, can have confidence that we're doingeverything that any responsible jurisdiction should do," he said.

'We have no voice'

Heather Hardcastle, a commercial fisherman and spokeswoman forAlaska-based group Salmon Beyond Borders said she's still worriedthe mine could unleash heavy metals and acidic drainage into thewaters, impacting Alaska's multi-billion dollar fishing and tourismindustries.

The problem is that the government of Alaska hasn't been involvedin assessing or approving mining projects in northwestern B.C.,where mine run-off flows into Alaskan waters, she said.

"We have no voice and B.C. has no accountability. And we'retaking on all of the risks and receiving none of the benefits,"Hardcastle said.

Alaskans aren't anti-mining, she added, but people are concernedabout how many projects are currently underway in the pristineregion.

"We're talking about a scale and scope of mining activity that'snever been seen before in a place that's this valuable when it comesto salmon and clean water," Hardcastle said.

A representative for Alaska does have a seat at the table when itcomes to many meetings on B.C. mining, said Bennett.

The minister noted that there is work to be done between Alaskaand B.C., and said he would like to see a memorandum ofunderstanding on mining between the two governments.

Government forging ahead

Another group which initially opposed the Red Chris Mine is nowpart of the project.Members of the Tahltan First Nation set up a blockade at the minelast summer following the Mount Polley tailings pond collapsed,spilling millions of cubic metres of water and mine slurry intolocal waterways.

The First Nation later instigated an environmental review of theRed Chris Mine, and in April signed on to co-manage it with ImperialMetals.

"From here on our environmental oversight role an importantpart of our agreement will also start to expand," Tahltan CentralCouncil President Chad Day said in a news release.

He added that expanding the mine to full capacity will createjobs and bring other benefits to the First Nation.

Bennett, too, said mining in B.C. helps bolster the province'seconomy.

Getting permits to build mines should be difficult, he said, butthe provinceneeds to be competitive when it comes to attractingmining companies.

"We had Mount Polley, it happened, it was terrible. It happenedonce in 150 years. We have to make sure it doesn't happen again,"he said. 'But I think it would be a serious mistake to think thatyou can't mine safely in B.C. Because I'm convinced you can."