March 26, 2015 - 4:49 PM
VICTORIA - The B.C. government has granted environmental approval to an underground gold-and-silver mine near the Alaska border.
The Brucejack mine is located about 65 kilometres northwest of the community of Stewart and is owned by Vancouver-based Pretium Resources Inc.
Attached to the Ministry of Environment's certificate are 15 conditions related to construction, operation and decommissioning.
The certificate approves the storage of tailings underground and in Brucejack Lake, but the ministry says it still wants more information on the effectiveness of the mine's proposed water-treatment plants.
It says construction cannot proceed until regulators are satisfied that discharges comply with provincial rules and will not harm the nearby Unuk River.
The $450 million project is expected to be completed in two years, create 500 jobs, and once in operation the mine is projected to produce 2,700 tonnes of ore daily.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015