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Posts tagged Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
New federal panel appointed to review Taseko's proposed gold-copper mine in B.C.
The Vancouver Sun - May 9, 2012
Provincial and federal New Democrats call for united action on the environment
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 20, 2012
Provincial and federal New Democrats call for united action on the environment
VICTORIA— B.C. New Democrat environment critic Rob Fleming, and Canada’s New Democrat environment critic Megan Leslie, are underlining the risks to B.C.’s environment caused by major cuts to federal environmental protection agencies and changes to federal environmental laws.
Fleming, the MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake, criticized the B.C. Liberals for cheerleading the Harper government’s plan to dismantle the federal environmental assessment process. “British Columbians are being asked to consider oil pipelines and the lifting of a 40-year moratorium on super-tanker traffic within B.C.’s north coast. These are projects that carry huge environmental risks coming forward at the very same time the federal government is slashing environmental protections we expect as Canadians,” said Fleming.
“Yet, instead of standing up for our province, the B.C. Liberals won’t even speak out against federal Conservative plans to shut down B.C.’s oil spill response centre and move it thousands of kilometres from the pacific coast to Montreal.”
“Today marks the second anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Leslie, the MP for Halifax and deputy leader. “It’s a stark reminder of the devastation caused by oil spills. We could have learned from that disaster, but instead Stephen Harper’s government is severely gutting environmental protection. After imposing deep cuts on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, they’re now saddling it with the obligation to do more complex reviews, faster, and with fewer resources. It’s irresponsible.”
In addition to plans to introduce arbitrary timelines to the federal environmental assessment process, the Harper government is also going to opt out of most assessments, leaving the provinces to fill the gaps. Fleming says given the track record of the B.C. Liberal government on recent joint federal-provincial environmental assessments, this is bad news for B.C.’s environment.
“The B.C. Liberals gave a green light to the Fish Lake-Prosperity mine. This clearly exposed B.C.’s lack of equivalency with the federal process and the science as we saw the federal rejection of the mine proposal for unacceptable destruction of an entire ecosystem,” said Fleming.
In addition to their plans to change the way environmental assessments are done, the Harper government wants to cut $88.2 million from Environment Canada’s budget by 2015, while also cutting $108.3 million from Natural Resources Canada by 2015.
“Major industrial projects take time, and with good reason,” said Leslie. “They are complex and have big impacts on our communities and our environment. We only get one chance to do them right, and if we rush these projects, Canadians will bear the risk.”
“Adrian Dix and the B.C. New Democrats understand that the economic prosperity and sustainability of our province are intertwined and that it is not a choice between a strong economy and a healthy environment as the Liberals seem to think,” said Fleming. “British Columbians want government leadership that moves us forward into the 21st century, not backwards.”
Fleming will join Leslie and her colleagues, NDP MP’s Denise Savoie (Victoria) and Randall Garrison (Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca) to celebrate Earth Day in Victoria by participating in the annual Earth Walk on Saturday, April 21.
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Media contact: Jen McWilliam 250.886.2295
Chiefs lobby in Ottawa against mine
Williams Lake Tribune - April 5, 2012
Tsilhqot’in National Government Chair Chief Joe Alphonse and other First Nations leaders are in Ottawa lobbying against Taseko Mines Ltd. and its proposed New Prosperity Mine.
“We just finished meeting with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada,” Alphonse told the Tribune Wednesday.
“This project has gone through an assessment already and been rejected. The process should be tightened up and made tougher for the company to reapply,” Alphonse said, adding the TNG is prepared to go back to court to protect its interests.
Budget proposals will affect environmental review of projects in B.C.
The Vancouver Sun - March 29, 2012
“As expected, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a streamlining of the environmental review process that would mean one review for each project within a clearly defined time period. Under the current law, both the provinces and the federal government review most projects without a set timetable. That can be time-consuming and lead to conflicting results, like in the case of Taseko Mines which had its Prosperity Mine approved by B.C. only to be rejected at the federal level. Taseko has since amended its proposal and resubmitted it to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency for approval.”
Lake Killing Made Easy
The Tyee - March 23, 2012
How healthy wild lakes are being reclassified as ‘tailings impoundment areas.’
Release of Final EIS Guidelines for the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine Project
Please be advised that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, on behalf of the Minister of the Environment, today issued the final Guidelines for the Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine project in British Columbia. The Guidelines will provide direction to Taseko Mines Limited, and will identify information that will be required in the statement of the anticipated effects of the Project on the environment.
The EIS Guidelines document is available online on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry, registry number 11-05-63928, at the following link: http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/document-eng.cfm?document=54831
Sincerely,
Livain Michaud
A/Panel Manager | Gestionnaire de commission int.
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency | Agence canadienne d’évaluation environnementale
160 Elgin St. Ottawa ON K1A 0H3 | 160, rue Elgin, Ottawa ON K1A 0H3
livain.michaud@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
Telephone | Téléphone 613-948-1359 | 1-866-582-1884
Facsimile | Télécopieur 613-957-0941
Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada
Gibraltar Development Plan 3 progressing on time and on budget
Welcome to Williams Lake - March 13, 2012
Taseko Mines Limited announces gross profit of $86.3 million and net earnings of $27.0 million ($0.14 per share) for the year ended December 31, 2011.
- Revenues for 2011 were $251.9 million from the sale of 60.8 million pounds of copper and 974,000 pounds of molybdenum. Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2011 were $60.5 million from the sale of 15.5 million pounds of copper and 269,000 pounds of molybdenum.
- Total production at Gibraltar (100%), for the year ended December 31, 2011 was 82.9 million pounds of copper and 1.3 million pounds of molybdenum. Fourth quarter production was 22.3 million pounds of copper and 388,000 pounds of molybdenum.
- Capital projects for the year totalled $63.9 million.
- On a 100% basis, $56.1 million was spent on Gibraltar Development Plan 3 (GDP3).
- On November 8th 2011, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) posted the ‘Notice of Commencement’ regarding the New Prosperity project, indicating the Federal assessment is now underway. On February 28, 2012 a work program commenced on site for the purpose of obtaining information required for the Federal environmental review.
- A $20-million program has commenced at Aley to advance the project into the feasibility and engineering stages. Included in the program is the construction of road access to the site, a contract awarded to a local First Nations road building firm.
Realized copper prices were US$3.89 per pound in 2011, compared to US$3.60 per pound in 2010, and the London Metal Exchange average price of US$4.00 per pound. The difference from the LME average price stems from the timing of shipments of copper.
Russell Hallbauer, President and CEO of Taseko, commented “Construction of Gibraltar Development Plan 3 is progressing as planned, on time and on budget. All major equipment has been purchased for the concentrator, molybdenum plant, and infrastructure, shipment of the long lead items has begun, foundations have been laid, and erection of the new buildings is well underway.”
Mr. Hallbauer continued, “We continue to move forward with New Prosperity’s Federal environmental review process, which began in November 2011. The Minister of the Environment indicated that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) would use information gathered in the previous environmental assessment to support the new process. Exploration and environmental data gathering work has commenced on site. We expect the Panel meetings to begin over the next few months.”
“In addition, we are advancing our Aley niobium project, with a $20-million program budgeted for 2012. This program will further define the ore body, support the environmental baseline studies and inform the project feasibility study. It will also provide the basis for preliminary engineering and mine site planning.”
“Our strategy is to create shareholder value by growing the company organically, controlling capital and operating costs, and executing our projects in a sound technical manner. Taseko’s looks forward to managing our diversified project pipeline and enhancing shareholder value in 2012.” Mr. Hallbauer concluded.
Key documents in review of Prosperity mine ready for comment
Vancouver Sun - January 24, 2012
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is asking for comments on two key documents that will guide the review of Taseko Mines’ New Prosperity Gold-Copper project near Williams Lake.
The public has until Feb. 22, 2012 to provide its views on draft environmental impact statement guidelines and the review panel’s terms of references.
The EIS guidelines, once finalized, will provide Taseko with the information the company needs to provide in its EIS, the document that forms the basis of the review process. It includes such requirements as setting out the impacts of the mine and what mitigation steps have been taken, and whether there are any alternatives. The terms of reference establish the mandate of the review panel and the scope of the panel’s assessment, as well as general time frames for the public hearings and review of Taseko’s proposal.
Brian Battison, Taseko’s vice-president of corporate affairs, called the EIS the company’s “marching orders from government.”
“So it’s a significant document,” Battison said.
The review was announced in November after Taseko submitted a new proposal for its $1.5 billion mine after its original proposal was rejected a year earlier. Under the rejected proposal Taseko planned to drain trout-rich Fish Lake in order to use it as a tailings pond. Under the new proposal Taseko will spend an additional $300 million to build a tailings facility two kilometres away, which the company says will save the lake.
In announcing the review in November, federal environment minister Peter Kent said the CEAA would have a year to complete its review.
Battison said the main things Taseko would be looking for in the documents would be the inclusion of the minister’s one-year timeline and the ability to include documents from the earlier assessment process.
After the submissions are received, the guidelines and terms of reference will be finalized and an independent review panel appointed, Lucille Jamault, manager of communications for CEAA said.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/documents+review+Prosperity+mine+ready+comment/6045520/story.html#ixzz1nnIbBBKd
