$918M gold mine granted operating permit in B.C.

Key Takeaways:

• Barkerville Gold Mines has received an operating permit under the Mines Act for its Cariboo Gold Mine, marking the first project fully assessed under British Columbia’s updated 2018 Environmental Assessment Act.
• The Cariboo Gold project, with a 16-year underground mining plan, represents a significant economic investment of over $1 billion, employing approximately 634 people during construction and processing 1.1 million tonnes of gold-bearing ore annually.
• An additional permit under the Environmental Management Act is under review, aiming to regulate waste discharge and protect public health and the environment.

The Whole Story:

A provincial statutory decision-maker has granted Barkerville Gold Mines, owned by Osisko Development Corporation, an operating permit under the Mines Act for its Cariboo Gold Mine in Wells, in east-central B.C.

The permitting process for the project was completed in 13 months, following a rigorous technical review conducted by a qualified team of technical experts in collaboration with First Nations.

Cariboo Gold is an underground mine that will employ approximately 634 people during construction and see an initial investment of $137 million and another $918 million over the life of the mine. The project will have the capacity to process approximately 1.1 million tonnes per year of gold-bearing ore. It will include underground mining over 16 years, ore milling at the Quesnel River mine, approximately 58 kilometres southeast of Quesnel, storage of waste rock at the Bonanza Ledge Mine near Barkerville, and a transmission line from the Quesnel area to the mine.

A permit under the Environmental Management Act (EMA) for the Cariboo Gold project is under consideration with a statutory decision-maker in the Ministry of Environment and Parks. A decision is expected in the coming weeks. An EMA permit would provide authority for the company to introduce wastes into the environment while protecting public health and the environment. The EMA regulates industrial and municipal waste discharge, pollution, hazardous waste and contaminated site remediation.

This is the first project entirely assessed under the new 2018 Environmental Assessment Act that has been granted a Mines Act permit.

The Environmental Assessment Office completed its assessment of the mine project with extensive consultation from experts, First Nations, including the Lhtako Dené, Xatśūll, and Williams Lake First Nations, government agencies and the public.

The Environmental Assessment Act was modernized to enhance public confidence, transparency and meaningful participation, to advance reconciliation with First Nations, and to deliver stronger environmental protections, while supporting sustainable economic development.