The public will get another 30 days to comment on the studies and reports the proponents of the Ajax mine must prepare for their environmental review, but a company spokesman said KGHM Ajax isn’t expecting the extra input from Kamloopsians to delay its application to the provincial and federal governments.
KGHM Ajax external-affairs manager Yves Lacasse told KTW his company is supportive of the new comment period.
“But, I don’t really anticipate it will result in our submission changing at this point.”
The provincial Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) announced on Tuesday, Sept. 30, it will take public comment on the mine’s draft application information requirements and environmental impact statement guidelines for 30 days, starting in early November.
Calls for more comment have come from both the City of Kamloops and various groups opposed to the mine since Ajax released a new configuration for the project this past spring.
The new plan uses a wet tailings ponds instead of dry stacks and moves many of the mine’s non-pit components farther south of the city.
Kamloops Area Preservation Association spokesman John Schleiermacher said the group, which opposes the mine, is pleased to see the comment period going ahead, and will use the opportunity to press for the results of the exploratory drilling program KGHM announced it was conducting in August 2013.
At the time, the company said it had uncovered more potential ore bodies at its site, which could increase the amount of available copper and gold.
“We want to know exactly what they found and what their long-term plans are,” Schleiermacher said.
While the EAO never ruled out a new comment period, its representatives have repeatedly said they see little need for more input at this stage, noting KGHM’s changes will likely only require the company to make minor revisions to its study plans.
The office is reviewing the requirements in-house, as are First Nations and a group of technical experts, including city public works director Jen Fretz, which advises the province.
Lacasse said KGHM has not had any indication from the province that major changes are forthcoming based on that review.
“We have said all along that we would take comments from the working group and discuss with CEAA (Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency) whether or not to hold a public comment period — this is what we have done,” a Ministry of Environment representative said via email when asked why the government is hosting another comment period.
Mayor Peter Milobar said he expected to such an announcement after he and members of council met with Environment Minister Mary Pollack at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention last week.
“I think it highlights maybe how we do have a slightly different role as elected officials than the public groups that are asking for things,” he said. “It shows when you’re government-to-government and trying to work co-operatively and looking people in the eye, usually you can find some middle ground and move forward on things.”
KGHM plans to file an application for environmental review near the end of March or early April of 2015, Lacasse said.
At that time, the province will have 30 days to evaluate the report for completeness.
If it checks out, the EAO must take more public comments on the mine’s application for 75 days of its government-mandated 180-day review period.
Federal and provincial environment ministers have a further 45 days to make a decision on the project.
Lacasse said the company anticipates it will start receiving reports from its consultants on the potential effects of the mine late in the year — around the time the public-input period might be wrapping up.
While the company has in past discussed releasing its study results to the public ahead of its review filing, Lacasse said KGHM is still deciding how it plans to distribute information to the public.
“These are very active discussions internally,” he said. “We want to make this as easy as possible for the community to try to digest all of this information.”
Lacasse said KGHM is considering having its consultants write plain-language summaries of their reports so they are easier for those without technical training to understand.
KGHM will likely also hold more open houses or presentations around the public-comment period, focusing on changes to its mine plan.
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