Victoria updates mining code

Mines Minister Bill Bennett says British Columbia is making changes to its mining code that sets standards to ensure a disaster like the Mount Polley tailings pond collapse never happens again.

In August 2014, a massive dam breached at the mine in B.C.’s Interior, sending 24 million cubic meters of waste and water into nearby rivers and lakes.

Bennett says changes include design standards for tailings storage facilities tailored to conditions within the province, and emphasize public and worker protection.

An independent review of the disaster concluded the tailings dam collapsed because the strength and location of clay underneath the dam was not taken into account during original designs.

Bennett says the new code includes world-leading standards that involve tailings facility site locations based on geological, hydrogeological and seismic characteristics.

The Mount Polley gold and copper mine, owned by Imperial Metals Corp., was cleared to resume full operations last month.

“The Mount Polley disaster was unprecedented for British Columbia, but it did happen,” Bennett said Wednesday. “We have now taken steps to ensure such a disaster can never happen again.”

University of B.C. mining professor Dirk van Zyl, a member of the government-appointed panel, called the changes to the mining code far-reaching.

“These changes put B.C. in a leadership position and clearly set the groundwork for a more comprehensive approach to consistent tailings management in the province,” he said.

A Postmedia investigation last year found specialized mining dam inspections had been cut after the B.C. Liberals came to power in 2001 and that no fines had been levied in court under the Mines Act since 1989.