Issuance of an environmental assessment certificate to Teck Coal Limited for the Baldy Ridge extension project today means greater economic opportunity for southeast British Columbia.

The Baldy Ridge project is an extension of the current Teck Elkview operations open-pit coal mine. The project will mine approximately 153 million metric tonnes of clean coal and will extend the overall life of the Elkview mine by about 23 years, until 2045.

“The Baldy Ridge expansion project is an important economic development for East Kootenay,” said Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett. “The jobs and business opportunities supported by Teck’s current Elkview operations will be sustained by work expansion to the extension project over the next three decades after the end of mining in the currently active areas.”

The project is expected to create the following employment opportunities:

• Approximately 1,652 person-years of direct on-site employment over the six-year construction period.
• Approximately 4,043 person-years of total employment in B.C. in the Crowsnest Pass over the six-year construction period.
• Approximately 31,304 person-years of direct on-site employment over the 29-year operations period.
• Between 10 and 20 direct positions during the closure and reclamation stage.

Teck estimates that the project will also continue to sustain the workforce of approximately 1,000 people at the existing Elkview operation. 

Teck estimates that the project’s initial capital cost for construction will be $600 million for the six-year construction period. The project is estimated to generate a total GDP of $348 million as a result of construction, and $273 million in annual GDP over the course of operations.  

The decision by Bennett and Environment Minister Mary Polak to issue an environmental assessment certificate was made after considering a review led by B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office. A record of the factors that the ministers considered in making their decision can be found in the Reasons for Ministers’ Decision at: http://ow.ly/MjCg304m7OQ