First Nation seeks oversight as Mt Milligan mine lifespan extended

Mount Milligan Mine’s Lifespan Extended to 2035

The chief of a First Nation in north-central B.C. states that environmental guardians will hold the operators of a local copper-gold mine accountable, as its lifespan is extended until 2035.

B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office announced on Monday that the Mount Milligan mine, located about 160 kilometres northwest of Prince George, received approval to amend its environmental certificate.

Details of the Approval

The amendments will allow the mine to continue operations until 2035, pending further regulatory approvals. The province stated that the mine employs around 600 people in the region.

Mount Milligan was included in a list of natural resource projects that the province plans to fast-track through permitting processes due to the U.S. trade war.

First Nation’s Involvement

Colleen Erickson, Chief of the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation, mentioned that her nation participated in the consultation process regarding the lifespan extension and recognized the mine’s importance to the local economy.

“We also have a comprehensive understanding of the importance of clean water to the people and to the animals that live in this region,” she said.

“This motivates us to ensure that the mine abides by this environmental assessment certificate that they’ve received.”

Environmental Concerns

The First Nation’s reserve is near Fort St. James, B.C., and the mine operates within its traditional territories. The EAO states that the lifespan extension will increase production from 60,000 tonnes to 66,500 tonnes of ore per day.

The mine expansion is expected to contribute “as much as $450 million in additional economic benefits to the region.”

Erickson stated that the nation’s water guardians would work to protect the watershed of the Nation River, which she described as the last pristine watershed in Nak’azdli territory.

Monitoring and Compliance

During the environmental assessment consultations, the nation informed officials about gaps in baseline data collection due to a lack of First Nations involvement. Mine operator Thompson Creek Metal Company Ltd., a subsidiary of Toronto-based Centerra Gold, must now allow Nak’azdli guardians to participate in environmental monitoring.

Erickson expressed concerns about officials retroactively permitting the discharge of effluents into the waters surrounding the mine.

“We have to caution the people of British Columbia that the environmental assessment process needs to be strengthened,” she said.

“Retroactively permitting ongoing discharges of effluents into surrounding waters raises serious concerns about whether the process is adequately protecting the environment.”

Future Opportunities

Despite these concerns, Erickson noted that the lifespan extension offers a chance for the First Nation to strengthen its relationship with the mine’s operators.

The EAO states that the approval allows the company to expand the mine’s area by 80 hectares and increase the height of the mine’s tailings storage dam by over 100 metres.

Additionally, the mine’s operators will now be required to monitor wildlife mortality along transportation corridors and develop a plan for wetland reclamation when the mine closes.

Summary of Key Facts