The Province of British Columbia has issued an environmental assessment certificate to Eskay Creek Mining Ltd., a subsidiary of Skeena Gold+Silver, to restart gold and silver mining at the site of the former Eskay Creek mine in Tahltan territory.

The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) carried out a collaborative assessment process with the Tahltan Central Government (TCG), the first to be guided by a consent agreement, representing a major milestone in government-to-government decision-making for major projects.

Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks, and Jagrup Brar, Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals, made the decision to issue the certificate after reviewing the EAO’s comprehensive report and recommendations, along with the Tahltan Risk Assessment Report.

TCG’s board of directors provided notice of Tahltan consent for the project as part of a consent-based decision-making agreement for Eskay Creek Project, established under sections 7 of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and Environmental Assessment Act.

The minsters applied 38 legally binding conditions on the project. These include specific conditions co-developed with TCG to mitigate impacts identified in Tahltan’s risk assessment and provide for an ongoing role for Tahltan in monitoring compliance throughout the life of the project. Many conditions, developed with input also from Skeena, require the company to incorporate Tahltan knowledge and input on plan development.

Other conditions include requirements to:

• monitor and manage effects to water, fish, air quality and human health to ensure mitigations are effective and effects do not exceed those predicted in the assessment
• minimize community effects, including local health services, in ways that are culturally appropriate for First Nations
• address effects from increased traffic along key highways to avoid and reduce impacts on wildlife, road users and First Nation communities
• manage and mitigate impacts to Tahltan quiet enjoyment of land, food sovereignty and way of life
• require Skeena’s participation in and/or support of provincial or Tahltan-led regional initiatives on cumulative, social and environmental issues

With these conditions, proposed permitting requirements and federal mitigation measures, no significant adverse effects are expected from the Eskay Creek revitalization project.

The EAO conducted the assessment on behalf of both the provincial and federal governments. One assessment carried out by the EAO is used for decisions by both levels of government, eliminating the need for two assessments for a single project.

The EAO’s assessment featured unprecedented collaboration with provincial permitting agencies, federal regulators and TCG to streamline the reviews, share expertise and determine the best-placed regulator to oversee various conditions. These efforts improved efficiency, reduced duplication and increased clarity for regulators and the company.

Provincial permits and federal approval are also required for the project to proceed. These decisions are expected soon.

Nisga’a Lisims government, which the EAO consulted as a treaty partner, provided letters of support for the project. The EAO also consulted Gitanyow Nation, Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation and Alaska Tribes, as well as Métis Nation of B.C. on behalf of the federal government.

If fully approved, the project is expected to generate positive economic benefits for local communities, Tahltan Nation and the Province, providing about 1,000 jobs during peak construction and more than 770 jobs during peak operations, along with projected capital expenditure of $713 million and approximately $1.2 billion in provincial revenues.

Under the environmental assessment certificate, the Eskay Creek mine must be substantially started by 2036.

Every project that undergoes an environmental assessment is assessed thoroughly on the specific and individual aspects of that particular project, including its potential environmental, economic, social, cultural and health effects and impacts on First Nations and their rights.

Learn More:

• Ministers' reasons for decision: https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/api/public/document/6977c1fc33c2c6e2d797627c/download/SIGNED%20Eskay_Creek_Ministers_Reasons_For_Decision_FINAL.pdf
• Documentation ministers considered in making their decision: https://www.projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/60f078d3332ebd0022a39224/documents?keywords=Eskay_Creek_Revit_DM&sortBy=-score&currentPage=1
• For more information about the environmental assessment process, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/environmental-assessments

A backgrounder follows.