British Columbians are invited to comment on Mount Polley Mining Corporation’s (MPMC) plans for long-term water management of the site.

The permit application will go through a 30-day public-consultation period, as well as a comprehensive technical review by the Cariboo Mine Development Review Committee.

The company submitted its formal permit amendment application and supporting technical assessment report as part of its long-term water management plan. The documents will now be presented for public consultation. Public feedback will help inform the company’s final water management plan, expected to be in place by fall 2017.

Residents in the Cariboo are invited to learn more about the plan by attending public consultation meetings, scheduled for:

• Wednesday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., open house, Royal Canadian Legion, Quesnel.
• Thursday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., open house and town hall, Royal Canadian Legion, Williams Lake.
• Friday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., open house, Horsefly Community Hall.
• Saturday, Oct. 29, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., open house, Big Lake Community Hall.
• Sunday, Oct. 30, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., open house and town hall, Likely Community Hall.

MPMC had previously submitted its draft technical assessment report for the long-term water management plan. That report underwent an internal government-to-government review involving the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Williams Lake Indian Band and Soda Creek Indian Band. 

The results of that review have helped inform MPMC’s formal permit amendment application and supporting technical assessment report. 

MPMC is applying to discharge treated mine effluent to both Quesnel Lake at a depth of 40 to 50 metres, as well as to Bootjack Lake via groundwater.

Final comments to the ministry on this report are due on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. Please submit comments with the subject line “Comments on technical assessment report” to: MtPolleyEnvironmental.Enquiries@gov.bc.ca

Mount Polley’s permit amendment application and supporting technical assessment report can be found at: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/mount-polley/

All information on the incident can be viewed on the ministry’s dedicated webpage: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/mount-polley/