Taseko Mines’ controversial New Prosperity gold and copper mine is moving to the public hearing phase of the environmental review process, the company announced today.
In November 2010, the federal government rejected the company’s plan to drain Fish Lake, 125 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, and deposit toxic mine tailings there. Fish Lake lies within the watershed of the Taseko River, a tributary to the Fraser River.
The company submitted a new plan to move the mine tailings pond 2.5 kilometres upstream to preserve spawning habitat to support the lake. The change added around $300 million to the total project cost, increasing it to $1.1 billion.
The company says the project will create thousands of jobs in the Williams Lake area.
Environmental groups and the Tsilhqot’in Nation say the new plan to deal with the mining waste, and the open-pit mine itself, will still be harmful to the environment.
Public hearings will take place in Williams Lake and surrounding communities, starting on July 22.
