The proposed Record Ridge Mine could impact water, wildlife, and cultural sites for First Nations<\/p>\n
The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office\u00a0(EAO) has concluded\u00a0that an environmental assessment of\u00a0the proposed Record Ridge mineral mine outside of Rossland is not required.<\/p>\n
On August 19, the EAO’s chief executive assessment officer\u00a0Alex MacLennan\u00a0said that West High Yield (WHY) Resources’\u00a0proposed\u00a0open-pit magnesium mine\u00a0“does not meet the threshold to automatically require an environmental assessment.”<\/p>\n
The EAO acknowledged\u00a0applications submitted by\u00a0the Sinixt Confederacy and Save Record Ridge Action Committee that asked to designate the project as reviewable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
MacLennan\u00a0deemed the environmental review\u00a0unnecessary, but\u00a0said\u00a0that WHY must still obtain all necessary permits and other applicable approvals from other regulatory agencies for the project to proceed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The decision\u00a0was not well received by many proponents including the Sinixt Confederacy and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis decision denies us a voice in the future of our land,\u201d said Sinixt chairman\u00a0Jarred-Michael Erickson.\u00a0\u201cThe proposed Record Ridge Mine could impact our water, wildlife, and cultural sites. We asked for a proper process\u00a0to assess those risks and to be part of the discussion.<\/p>\n
“The Province has said,\u00a0‘No!’\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Sinixt are not alone in their support for an environmental assessment.\u00a0The Ktunaxa\u00a0Nation Council, Splats’ in, and Shuswap Band also supported the call for an assessment, along with the City of\u00a0Rossland, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB), and Environment and Climate Change Canada.<\/p>\n
As a member of the Record Ridge Mining Development Review Committee\u00a0(MDRC), Rossland council\u00a0made it clear it\u00a0did not support the project.<\/p>\n
In a March\u00a0letter to MDRC\u00a0Chair Kathie Wagar, Rossland Mayor Andy Morel listed several key concerns he said have not been addressed by the project proponent.<\/p>\n
Mayor Morel noted that critical issues include the project\u2019s potential socioeconomic impact, transportation effects, environmental risks, and the transparency of the company behind the proposal.<\/p>\n
Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band, however,\u00a0welcomed the decision, along with partner WHY Resources president and CEO, Frank Marasco Jr.<\/p>\n
“We are pleased that the Environmental Assessment Office respected the opinion of the Osoyoos Indian Band and has allowed the project to proceed,” said Louie in a release. “We look forward to working with the leadership of West High Yield to ensure this project is of the highest standards in keeping with the traditions and expectations of our people.”<\/p>\n
The Osoyoos Indian Band signed a cooperation\u00a0agreement with WHY Resources that assures the Band’s\u00a0oversight of the open-pit mineral mine project.<\/p>\n
WHY Resources altered the mine’s potential\u00a0production capacity from 200,000 to 63,500 tonnes per year to slip below\u00a075,000 tonnes\u00a0– the province’s Reviewable Projects Regulation (RPR)\u00a0threshold for a new mineral mine.<\/p>\n
MacLennan said the EAO decision considered the threshold\u00a0alongside other features of Record Ridge, including a relatively small footprint.<\/p>\n
According to WHY Resources proposal, operations will be limited to eight months of the year, with an anticipated workforce of 30-40 people, and will\u00a0lack\u00a0infrastructure such as a mill and tailings storage facility that is typical of major metal mining facilities.<\/p>\n
“We are extremely pleased with the EAO’s Final Designation Decision, which validates the rigorous review our project has already undergone through the Mine Development Review Committee process led by the BC Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals,” said Marasco. “This outcome provides the clarity and certainty we need to advance toward final permitting and development of the project.”<\/p>\n
Under Section 11 of the Environmental Assessment\u00a0Act, Save Record Ridge and the Sinixt formally applied for the project to be designated for review.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Sinixt expressed concern that the mine will pose serious environmental risks that could affect ungulate habitat\u00a0sacred to Sinixt hunting and\u00a0cultural practices; harm water quality and fish populations; disturb red-listed species and ecologically sensitive areas; and affect archaeological and cultural sites.<\/p>\n
According to the Sinixt, the Record Ridge decision follows a concerning pattern in how the Province is choosing to\u00a0exclude the Sinixt from key environmental and land-use decisions in areas with significant ecological, cultural, and\u00a0spiritual importance.<\/p>\n
The Province’s recent decision\u00a0that the\u00a0Zincton All-Season Resort in the Slocan\u00a0did not require an\u00a0environmental assessment\u00a0raised\u00a0serious concerns from\u00a0the Sinixt and several\u00a0other First Nations.<\/p>\n
“We’ve been caretakers of this land for thousands of years,\u201d said Erickson. “Yet we continue to be excluded from\u00a0decisions that affect the future of our own territory.<\/p>\n
“That is not reconciliation; that is erasure.\u201d<\/p>\n
WHY Resources began drilling in the area in 2005 as part of its phase 1 field activity. The company was originally\u00a0focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties\u00a0with a primary objective to locate and develop economic gold properties.<\/p>\n
“We remain committed to building a sustainable operation that delivers critical minerals for Canada while protecting the environment and creating lasting benefits for local communities and Indigenous partners,” added Marasco.<\/p>\n
According to its proponents,\u00a0the\u00a0Record Ridge mineral mine is a unique Canadian source of critical minerals, with a focus on magnesia (MgO) and silica (SiO2) products, both recognized as strategic and essential to the clean energy transition and a low-carbon economy.<\/p>\n