Members of the Klabona Keepers, made up of members of the Tahltan First Nation, have blockaded the access to Imperial Metals' Red Chris mine construction site since Friday.
A spokesperson for the Klabona Keepers could not be reached for comment, but a statement posted on the group's Facebook page said the blockade is in response to the tailings spill at Imperial Metals' Mount Polley mine near Likely.
"In solidarity with the Mount Polly disaster, the Klabona Keepers have set up a blockade of Imperial Metal[s'] Red Chris mine in the sacred headwaters," the statement said. "This mine's tailing pond has been constructed on a fish bearing lake and the headwaters of the Stikine River!"
The copper/gold mine is currently under construction 80 kilometres south of Dease Lake. Construction on the $570 million mine began in May 2012, after the project received provincial and federal environmental approval in 2005-06.
John Gellard, who visited the blockade site on Wednesday, said his understanding from organizers was the blockade was still in full effect on Thursday. A posting to the group's Facebook site just before 1 p.m. on Thursday said the blockade was still in place.
"Right now the blockade is up. Nothing is going in, but people are coming out," Gellard said. "They're trying to get some assurance that the Mount Polley mine thing isn't going to happen here."
Steve Robertson, Imperial Metals vice-president of corporate affairs, said the blockade has had a limited impact on operations at the mine to date.
"There is a blockade, we don't have personnel, food or fuel going into the site," Robertson said. "I don't think there is concerns about safety. The employees [at the mine construction site] are taking this in stride."
Robertson said Imperial Metals is in talks with the Klabona Keepers to address their concerns about the mine and its tailings pond.
"It's a two-way dialogue and it's been productive so far," Robertson said.
Robertson would not disclose the nature of Imperial Metals' discussions with the Klabona Keepers, but a statement issued by the B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines said "...as a result of discussions Wednesday between Minister [Bill] Bennett, the Tahltan Nation and Imperial Metals, Imperial Metals has agreed that it will not begin operations at Red Chris until the Tahltan can undertake an independent engineering review of the facility. This review will be funded by Imperial Metals."
In the statement, the province also committed to conduct an independent review of all tailings ponds in the province and an independent investigation into the breach at Mount Polley.
