S TANDARD TERRACE
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VOL. 27 NO. 43
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Red Chris receives pond permit By JOSH MASSEY A MINING company in the middle of responding to recommendations about how to make its tailings pond more secure has now started using the pond to test its milling machinery. Amid controversy surrounding the Mount Polley mine dam failure report released two weeks ago, mine owner Imperial Metals received a waste water discharge permit for its Red Chris gold and copper project located northeast of Terrace.
“Red Chris has received an interim approval to operate the TSF (Tailings Storage Facility) in order to test the mill but not to go into production,” said a statement from the Ministry of Energy and Mines. The permit is effective from February through May, after which Red Chris “will have to apply to the Chief Inspector [of Mines] for approval and will have to show that the TSF has performed as designed.” Initial operations of the mine, which was scheduled to go into service last year, were on hold as the company financed a third par-
ty review of the tailings facility using a company chosen by the Tahltan Central Council which acts as the governing voice on Tahltan traditional territory. The review, released in October 2014, was part of a joint management agreement signed between the Tahltan Central Council and Imperial Metals in August 2014 following the Mount Polley disaster which spilled 25 million cubic metres of toxic tailings fluid into Quesnel Lake in the Cariboo area. The independent review noted that glacial till and sand underneath the proposed
Red Chris tailings facility was a concern and that the foundation soils were “a major design issue.” “This valley is underlain by over 90m of permeable glacial fluvial sands and gravels with interlayers of at least one glacial till unit,” said the Red Chris tailings review. An investigation into the Mount Polley tailings facility failure released two weeks ago indicated that loose glacial till was a central reason for the breaking of that dam.
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Grant requests prompt debate By JOSH MASSEY
JOSH MASSEY PHOTO
■■ Epic blizzard blasts Terrace A STOP sign at the corner Sparks and Greig was a casualty of the snowstorm that commenced Feb. 5 and into Feb. 6, eventually dumping approximately 120 cm of the white stuff. Kitimat experienced even more snow and records were set for the region. Stores and businesses closed Feb. 6 in response.
CITY COUNCILLORS are wrestling with decisions about whether certain groups should qualify for grants this year provided directly from the city and from subsidiary Terrace Community Forest. After reviewing a list of requests, councillors now want more detailed budget information from groups. “I kind of feel like I’m only getting half the information,” said councillor James Cordeiro at a recent council session. Other issues include whether grant applications from profit-generating businesses should quality and another question is the eligibility of groups that typically receive money from provincial programs. One example cited by councillor is the Skeena Valley Golf and Country Club which is asking for $23,000 for new stoves and oven for its restaurant and carpet. Despite city administrators cutting that requested amount to $10,000 for inclusion on a list to be considered by council, councillor Stacey Tyers saw this as supporting a moneygenerating business which she thinks shouldn’t qualify. “No other not-for-profit could come to this council and ask for money for those kinds of things and have us be OK with it,” said Tyers. “I don’t believe anyone could. I don’t think the Legion could come and ask for the kitchen upgrade. If so, I will tell them to come next year and ask for it.” “I’m inclined to agree,” said Cordeiro, adding that the $30,000 tax exemption the golf club, which is in Thornhill, receives from the regional district is already a significant boost. But councillor Brian Downie argued that the club’s request shouldn’t be considered a subsidy to a business in the normal sense because the club offers community charity event opportunities and struggles to make ends meet in the wet climate. Tyers said that supporting a specific charity event at the golf club made sense but that she didn’t think buying the club a stove was appropriate. Tyers also questioned the Kalum Community School Society’s request for $10,000.
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Oliver Twist
Camp rules
Bonspiel rocks
Preview of classic musical coming to a theatre near you. \COMMUNITY A18
Company says no rowdy workers in this LNG camp. \NEWS A4
Annual curling event sees best teams rule the ice and fun had by all. \SPORTS A24