B.C. government calls for Mount Polley review

The B.C. government says an independent investigation into the Mount Polley spill is needed, and the province is indicating there could also be new inspections at other mines.

The tailings pond at the Mount Polley copper and gold mine breached on Aug. 4, sending millions of cubic metres of waste into central B.C. waterways. The spill prompted days of water-use bans for hundreds of people, and the province has said there could be adverse effects on marine life.

In a statement Sunday, the Ministry of Environment said the province has determined that an independent review into the failure of the tailings pond is necessary. It said the communities in the affected areas, First Nations, industry and other British Columbians “deserve to know in a clear and timely way what happened and what can be done to ensure such incidents never happen again.”

A formal news conference is expected this week, though the province would not say exactly when it would be held or release further details on the matter. It did not explain how the independent investigation would fit with government reviews of the Mount Polley breach that have already begun.

Bill Bennett, the Minister of Energy and Mines, said last week there have to be areas for improvement. He also said at the time that an announcement on next steps could come as early as Monday, and that in addition to the breach it would touch on other tailings ponds in the province.

Environment Minister Mary Polak, during a weekend conference call, was asked about inspections at other tailings ponds and said independent investigation was warranted. Ms. Polak said a time and date for an announcement had not been finalized.

William Sellars, a councillor with the Williams Lake Indian Band, which is near the Mount Polley mine, said Sunday he had not heard from the province about its planned next steps. However, he said Ms. Polak and other provincial representatives were scheduled to meet with community members Monday to answer questions about the spill.

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