Terms of Reference

Technical review of predicted effects on fish, fish habitat, and fisheries of the Fish Lake watershed in the Environmental Impact Statement for the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine Project

Science Special Response Process (SSRP) - Pacific Region

July 5, 2013
Nanaimo, British Columbia

Chairperson: Dan Selbie

Context

Taseko Mines Limited (the Proponent) proposes to develop and operate the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine Project 125 km to the southwest of Williams Lake, British Columbia (BC).  The Project would involve the construction, operation, and closure of a large gold-copper mine which would take two years to build and would operate for 20 years.  The main project components include an open pit mine, a 125 km power line, an onsite concentrator, a new 2 km access road and a tailings pond.

The proposed mine would be located within the Fish Creek watershed, which hosts several fish-bearing creeks and lakes, including Fish Lake and Little Fish Lake.  The Fish Lake watershed supports a population of rainbow trout estimated by the Proponent to be 164,945.  The direct and indirect effects of the mine include the open pit mine foot print covering the mainstem of Fish Creek, downstream of Fish Lake and the upper Fish Creek watershed, including Little Fish Lake being covered by the tailings impoundment area.  The Proponent proposes to actively capture and pump the discharge from the outlet of Fish Lake to the remaining reaches of headwater streams to retain inflow to the lake.  Upon mine closure and after approximately 50 years, the system will flow freely from the tailings impoundment to Fish Lake to the open pit lake and downstream to Taseko River.

The New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine Project is subject to an environmental assessment federal review panel.  The Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will be invited to attend the public hearings and present its views on the project to the Panel.  Specifically, DFO will be asked to present evidence at the hearing related to DFO’s mandate and expertise respecting the effects of the Project on fish and fish habitat, the mitigation and compensation measures, the conclusions reached by the Proponent, and the monitoring and follow-up programs.  On June 12, 2013, DFO’s Pacific Region Fisheries Protection Program requested that DFO Science Branch provide an evaluation of the Proponents Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assist in the development of DFO’s submission to the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine Project Review Panel.

Objective

Based on the information contained in the September 2012 EIS, the supplemental information provided in March 2013 and June 2013, and supporting documentation provided by the Proponent historically, the objective of this Science Response is to evaluate whether the proposed re-circulated closed lake system of Fish Lake, and its tributaries, can feasibly provide the fish and fish habitat attributes described in the EIS, and whether the limitations and uncertainties associated with this recirculated system accurately characterized.

Expected publications

• Science Response

Participation

• DFO Science Branch Pacific Region

Additional Information

DFO. 2013. Sufficiency review of the draft lake productivity information submitted in relation to the new prosperity gold-copper mine project. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2012/039.

DFO. 2013. Sufficiency review of lake productivity information contained in the environmental impact statement for the new prosperity gold-copper mine project. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Resp. 2012/040.