The BC Supreme Court has suspended two of Taseko Mines Ltd.’s work permits at the proposed New Prosperity mine for three months to allow for a judicial review.
The Tsilhqot'in Nation sought the injunction last month after citing provincial government failure to consult with the band before work permits for the project were granted. The injunction was granted Friday.
Tsilhqot'in tribal chairman Joe Alphonse said, “We have already soundly defeated this mine proposal once, and the option now being pursued has already been declared worse than the original plan.
“We are frustrated to be faced with an environmental assessment again, but we need to be adequately engaged to assist with the determination of what is exactly necessary with the least amount of disturbance for this process.”
Taseko asserted in a statement that, while attempting to undertake the work it was authorized to do in November, Taseko workers were obstructed from doing so by First Nation individuals.”
In the decision, Justice Christopher Grauer encouraged the parties to meet and talk about the nature of the work to be done and any concerns related to it.
Taseko said it is receptive to those discussions.
The company concluded that “through no fault of its own Taseko is caught in the middle of a dispute between the provincial government and the Tsilhqot'in Nation concerning the role of the Tsilhqot'in Nation in land use decisions.”
The judicial review will focus on whether the provincial government’s consultation process regarding the permits was appropriate.
Jennifer Harrison
@JHarrisonBIV