Imperial Metals says it addressed 2010 concerns at Mount Polley
Imperial Metals has broken its silence over a “tension” crack and other concerns found in a 2010 dam inspection at its Mount Polley gold and copper mine.
The company says the concerns were addressed under an engineer’s direction.
Initially the company had refused to comment on the dam inspection report obtained by The Vancouver Sun because of ongoing investigations, but last Friday it quietly posted a statement on its website.
The crack was discovered in the perimeter wall, the same embankment where a section failed on Aug. 4 this year, releasing millions of cubic metres of water and tailings containing potentially toxic metals in Quesnel Lake.
In its statement, Imperial Metals said the crack was 900 metres from the breach, and it was subject to a series of recommendations by the engineer of record, including a stability assessment in 2011, which were fully complied with under the direction of the engineer.
“After carrying out the recommended measures, (Mount Polley Mining Corp.) received no indication that there remained any issues of concern,” said the statement.
Imperial Metals declined Sunday to make anyone available for an interview or provide subsequent inspection reports to back up their statement.
In an email, Imperial Metals vice-president of corporate affairs Steve Robertson reiterated the company would not comment during the investigation, despite the fact it had commented via its website.
Imperial Metals did not name its geotechnical engineer in the statement, but AMEC took over
After carrying out the recommended measures, (Mount Polley Mining Corp.) received no indication that there remained any issues of concern. IMPERIAL METALS STATEMENT
as engineer of record for inspections between 2011 and 2013.
The engineering firm that produced the 2010 report, Knight Piesold, had said the 10to 15-metre-long tension crack in the earthen dam did “not necessarily indicate a plane of weakness in fill materials but it can’t be ignored either.”
Noting that the details into the collapse will not be known until investigations are complete, B.C. Mines Minister Bill Bennett said Sunday his understanding is that the company addressed the issues raised in the 2010 dam safety inspection report.
The mines ministry had also declined earlier to comment on whether the concerns had been addressed. The ministry continued to decline to release dam inspection reports by the company — required under B.C. law — or its own inspection reports.
Bennett said he’s been advised by the B.C. Attorney General’s office that releasing documents could jeopardize investigations.
Investigations are being carried out by the B.C. Conservation Service, the province’s chief inspector of mines and a threeperson expert panel appointed by the B.C. government.