MINING SHAKE-UP
Expert panel urges industry to stop using tailings dams after Mt. Polley spill.
2014
Aug. 4: A 150-metre section of the rock-and-earth dam at the copper and gold mine fails. The dam held back millions of cubic metres of water and potentially toxic metals in finely ground rock (normally called tailings).
Aug. 4:
A water ban is issued for the area around the mine and for the community of Likely, located on the banks of the Quesnel River downstream of the spill. The water-drinking ban extends downstream to the Fraser River.
Aug. 7:
Water-drinking ban is partly lifted.
Aug 8:
The engineering firm that designed the tailings dam and storage facility, Knight Piesold, says it warned the company and provincial officials the structure was “getting large” and care needed to be taken to avoid problems.
Aug. 12:
The water-use ban is all but lifted. Only a small area in the lake remains.
Aug. 15:
The B.C. government appoints a three-person engineering panel to investigate the dam collapse.
Aug. 15:
Imperial Metals announces plans to issue $100 million of debt to help fund the cleanup of the spill and to finish building its Red Chris mine, also in B.C.
Aug. 16:
B.C. officials say sediment discharged from the tailings is not toxic for humans, but may harm aquatic life.
Sept. 9:
Province issues warning to mine for continuing to discharge effluent from its tailing storage facility.
Sept. 26:
The Vancouver Sun obtains a 2010 dam safety inspection at the mine that identified several concerns, including the discovery of a 10- to 15-metre-long “ten- sion” crack in the earthen dam. Other concerns include 40 per cent of 92 instruments that measure water pressure in the dam were broken and needed to be replaced, and problems creating beaches to protect the upstream face of the dam.
Oct. 8:
University of Northern B.C. researchers find a “cloud of sediment” from the collapse of the tailings dam extends over many tens of square kilometres, deep below the surface of Quesnel Lake.
Oct. 14:
The Sun finds mine inspections in the province fell dramatically in 2010-11. B.C. government conducted only five inspections during that period, and none at Mount Polley mine.
Nov. 6:
Mining Association of Canada says it is examining if changes are needed to its safety and environmental minemanagement program because of the Mount Polley collapse.
Nov. 7:
The engineering panel makes an unusual call to the public for written submissions on the cause of dam collapse to “leave no stone unturned.”
Nov. 17:
Imperial Metals pegs Mount Polley cleanup cost at $67.4 million, less than analyst figures of $100 million to $200 million.
Nov. 24:
Tailings cleanup only at the “very beginning,” says B.C. environment minister.
Dec. 18:
B.C. mine inspector gives OK for Mount Polley dam rebuild.
2015
Jan. 27:
Premier Christy Clark announces the 2015 mining base budget will be increased by $9 million to add staff to conduct more permit reviews and inspections.