British Columbia’s ministries of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources issued an environmental assessment certificate for New Gold’s Blackwater gold project.
“Having considered the Environmental Assessment Office’s (EAO) assessment report, submissions from Indigenous Nations and the recommendation of the EAO’s executive director to issue a certificate, the ministers are confident that Blackwater will be built, operated and closed in a way that ensures that no significant adverse effects are likely to occur,” the ministries indicated in a press release.
During its construction phase, Blackwater would contribute C$312 million to B.C.’s gross domestic product
The proposed open-pit gold and silver Blackwater mine is located approximately 110 kilometres southwest of the western Canadian town of Vanderhoof and extends for 4,400 hectares.
New Gold (TSE: NGD) is expected to extract 60,000 tonnes of ore per day with a net annual production of 22 million tonnes per year during the mine’s 17-year operational life.
The project’s provincial environmental assessment certificate includes 43 conditions that must be met by the company, including a country foods monitoring plan; the establishment of a community liaison committee and community effects monitoring and management plan; an air quality and dust management plan, among others.
The BC government also incorporated some design requirements that are legally binding and that must be observed to maintain compliance with the certificate.
The new permit follows the environmental approval issued back in April by the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Such certificate also has conditions, in this case 172, that New Gold must meet during the mine’s construction and operation to reduce or eliminate potential environmental harm.