Mining giant Teck says it's committed to working with local First Nations that are opposing a proposed expansion to its Highland Valley Copper Mine.
The open-pit mine, located approximately 75 kilometres southwest of Kamloops near Logan Lake, is looking to extend its life from 2028 to 2040 through an expansion of existing infrastructure.
The Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation (SSN) — a governance group made up of the Skeetchestn and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc bands — is opposing the proposed expansion, saying the expansion would leave further impacts on the environment and would reduce the amount of land for traditional practices.
In a statement to Castanet, Dale Steeves, Teck's director of external communications, said the expansion would continue social and economic benefits to surrounding communities.
“At HVC, we value building strong relationships with local Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities who may be affected by our operations and are actively engaging with those communities,” he said.
“We respect the perspectives of SSN and are committed to continuing to work constructively with them and other local Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and stakeholders to extend the life of HVC.”
Teck estimates the expansion would yield 1.95 million tonnes of additional copper over the life of the project. The expansion would take three years to complete and Teck says it would sustain an average of 1,300 jobs and create $435 million in additional GDP during the construction of the project.
SSN has submitted its report to B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office, which is now holding a public comment period on its draft environmental assessment process report. Comments will be open until Nov. 22.
Once the comment period closes, the EAO will update its report to reflect submissions from participating First Nations and feedback from the public. It expects to provide that report to the ministers of environment and mines sometime next month.
