British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Office has granted an extension for the Mount Milligan copper and gold mine near Fort St. James, allowing its operation to continue until 2035. The approval came after a thorough review of an application by Thompson Creek Metal Company Ltd., a subsidiary of Centerra Gold based in Toronto.
This amendment to the mine’s environmental assessment certificate permits the company to enlarge the mine’s area by 80 hectares, increase its daily ore production by 6,500 tonnes, and raise the height of the tailings storage dam by over 100 meters.
Described as a “priority project,” the Mount Milligan mine’s assessment was expedited by aligning it with permitting reviews from the Mining and Environment ministries. This streamlined process led to a decision arriving more than a year earlier than usual, with permitting decisions from the ministries expected imminently for the mine that received its initial approval in 2009.
Employing approximately 600 individuals, the mine stands to create additional jobs and inject over $450 million into the region if it secures the necessary further approvals.