Harper Government Supports Rejection of New Prosperity Mines in B.C.
But Company Claims Decision Based on Review of Wrong Plan
Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq rejected the application for Prosperity Gold Copper Mine in British Columbia to proceed with its plans to develop a mine because it failed to meet the federal standards set in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
Aglukkaq, the Minister of the Environment said she accepted the decision of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Panel that concluded the New Prosperity Mine project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects that cannot be mitigated.
"The Government of Canada will make decisions based on the best available scientific evidence while balancing economic and environmental considerations," said Minister Aglukkaq. The Minister added, "The Government will continue to make responsible resource development a priority and invites the submission of another proposal that addresses the Government's concerns."
In making its decision, the federal government considered the report of the independent Review Panel which conducted a rigorous review of the New Prosperity Mine project, and agreed with its conclusions about the environmental impacts of the project.
Speaking at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention on March 3, 2014 Minister of Natural Resources, Joe Oliver encouraged Taseko the parent company of Prosperity Mines to re-submit an improved proposal for consideration.
However, Taseko Mines issued a strongly worded statement subsequent to Minister Oliver’s statement in which they criticized the Harper government for supporting the Canadian environmental assessment panel which made its decision after reviewing the wrong plan. It is the second time in three years the proposal has been rejected.
“It’s time for the Canadian government to account for its position on the rejection of Taseko Mines’ New Prosperity project,” company spokespersons said via an article written by Kip Keen of Mineweb and posted on http://www.newprosperityproject.ca/canadas-harper-government-quiet-on-taseko-permitting-controversy
The article claims the Harper government has been supporting the Canadian Environmental Assessment Panel’s decision without explaining the basis for supporting the decision and in light of the fact the panel used the work design plans to arrive at its decision.
The faulty decision based on the use of the wrong containment design by Canadian environmental assessment has harmed Taseko’s reputation. It marks the second rejection of the proposal in three years.
According to the article written by Kip Keen of Mineweb, Taseko has raised serious allegations about the wrong mine design being by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Panel.
Taseko and their engineering consultants maintain that the mining project that it proposed was not the same one that was killed. Instead, it alleges, the government considered the wrong mine design, one without a tough barrier at the bottom of a tailings pond when deciding on the license. And that err concerning the allegedly less-environmentally sound design resulted in the rejection on the grounds that the project could be an environmental catastrophe.
Speaking at the PDAC, Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, said he supported the panel’s decision and backed it up his support by saying that “The environmental assessment was extremely negative, particularly in regard to the hydrographic system.”
Harper added that if the proposal had gone through it would lead to the long term destruction of that the nearby river system. Harper further added that the federal government’s environmental experts do not see any possible way to design the proposed mine that would mitigate harm to the environment.
But Taseko said Harper is on shaky grounds when making such sweeping statements without addressing the company’s concern that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Panel had wrongly based their decision on an incorrect mine plan.
However, Taseko failed to explain why the submitted the wrong design plan or how the federal environmental assessment panel obtained a copy of the wrong plan.
For more detailed information please click on the following links:
As well as information on the environmental assessment of the project are available at ceaa.gc.ca
Associated Links
Proposed New Prosperity project (Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)
Responsible Resource Development (Canada's Economic Action Plan)
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