COPPER: BC wants remediation ideas for Tulsequah Chief

BRITISH COLUMBIA – Earlier this month the British Columbia government issued a request for proposals for the remediation of the Tulsequah Chief underground copper mine site. This is considered the first step in the province taking responsibility for the environmental cleanup. [caption id="attachment_1003725647" align="alignleft" width="300"] The water treatment plant at the site of the abandoned Tulsequah Chief copper mine. (Image: SLR Consulting)[/caption] The property was owned by the now bankrupt Chieftain Metals. Chieftain and its main creditor, West Face Capital, missed an Oct. 8 deadline to provide a revised mine cleanup plan for the site 100 km southwest of Atlin. West Face offered its version of a remediation plan in September, but it was not accepted because it lacked timelines, a means of dealing with wastewater treatment sludge, and costs. Both the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and the Alaskan governor have urged British Columbia to do something about the abandoned site for two years. People opposed to reopening the mine insist it will never be viable, and they urged that the acid drainage be eliminated and a full site remediation take place. More about the Tulsequah Chief mine site has been posted by the BC government at www2.gov.BC.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/site-permitting-compliance/tulsequah-mine.