Terms of Reference

Sufficiency review of the lake productivity information submitted in relation to the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine project

Science Special Response Process (SSRP) - Pacific Region

June 26, 2012
Vancouver, BC

Chairperson: Dan Selbie

Context

Taseko Mines Ltd. proposes to develop and operate a gold and copper mine located approximately 125 km southwest of Williams Lake, British Columbia. The Project consists of an open pit mine development and a 70,000 tonne per day concentrator facility with an average annual production of 108 million pounds of copper and 247 thousand ounces of gold production over a 20 year mine life. The Project also includes support infrastructure, associated tailings and waste rock areas, a 125 km long power transmission line, an existing concentrate load-out facility near Macalister, British Columbia and existing access from Williams Lake with construction of 2.8 km of new mine road.

A previously submitted project by Taseko, known as the Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine project, was subject to an environmental assessment review under British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Act and a federal review panel under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) in 2009-2010.

In November 2010, in its response to the panel’s report, the Government of Canada indicated that it accepted the conclusions of the panel as presented in its report, and, taking into consideration the report of the panel, implementation of any appropriate mitigation measures, and in weighing the socio-economic benefits and potential significant adverse environmental effects, determined that the significant adverse environmental effects could not be justified under the circumstances. In its response, the Government of Canada also noted that its decision did not preclude the Proponent from submitting a project proposal that addressed the factors considered by the panel.

Taseko Mines Ltd. has submitted a draft ‘Environmental Impact Statement’ (EIS) for a revised project proposal.  On June 15, 2012, Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Environmental Assessment and Major Projects Division (EAMP), Pacific  Region requested that DFO Science Branch provide advice respecting the adequacy of the draft EIS for the for the evaluation of the potential effects to lake productivity.

Objectives

Based on the information contained in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine Project, the objective of the SSRP is to provide science advice as to whether there sufficient data and analysis to permit a proper evaluation of the potential effects to lake productivity?

Specifically:

1. Is the information referenced both sufficient and recent enough for Science to model or assess future productivity of Fish Lake and its tributaries?
2. If not, what other information would be reasonable to request to infer future productivity?
3. Is there enough information to make reasonably informed inferences, or to identify risks associated with data gaps?
4. Are the methods used to assess the potential effects on future productivity of Fish Lake appropriate and executed properly.

Expected publications

• Science Response

Participation

• DFO Science Branch Pacific Region