The federal government says it must ensure that Taseko Mines's revised plan for its earlier-rejected Prosperity gold-copper mine in Central B.C. adequately sets out the new proposal and its environmental effects, before starting a review.
The company's new project description -- which preserves a lake that was to be turned into a mine waste storage area -- won't be released until its been accepted for official review, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency official Lucille Jamault said Tuesday.
"The federal government, once satisfied that the project description is complete, will accept the project description for further review," said in an e-mail response.
Taseko Mines unveiled Monday it had submitted a revised project description for its revised mine plan, which will preserve 121-hectare Fish Lake. The original plan was to drain fish lake and use it to store waste rock and dirt. The new plan will see the waste rock trucked to a new area.
The changes to the plan will add $300 million in costs to the mine, which had an original price tag of $800 million.
In an interview, Taseko official Brian Battison stressed Tuesday that the company was able to finance the additional cost because long-term consensus gold and copper prices have gone up significantly.
The company has delivered a copy of the new mine plan to First Nations in the area, as well as the B.C. government, and remains hopeful that First Nations will talk to them about the revised project, said Battison, vice-president of corporate affairs for Taseko.
He said he believes the changes largely address the chief concerns of the Tsilhqot'in Nation.
However, Battison noted the First Nations have not, so far, agreed to talk to Taseko about their new plans.
Tsilhqot'in Nation representatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Last summer, a federal panel concluded there would be significant adverse environmental effects from the Prosperity mine on fish and fish habitat, traditional First Nations use and on potential, or established, Aboriginal rights or title. The most contentious issue surrounding the project was the use of Fish Lake, which the panel estimated would destroy 90,000 rainbow trout.
Last November, the federal government delivered its rejection of Prosperity.
However, the federal government noted that the project had been rejected "as proposed," opening up the door to a redesigned project.
The B.C. Liberal government had been pressing the federal government to approve the project, arguing the economic benefits and jobs produced by the mine outweigh environmental impacts identified in a federal review.
New Premier Christy Clark has been a proponent of the Prosperity mine moving ahead.
