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Council told new coal mine 'could be open in 2012'

Philip Round
Comox Valley Echo

Friday, February 05, 2010

The proposed Raven coal mine - planned for a site six kilometres inland from Buckley Bay - could be up and running in the second half 2012.

Courtenay city councillors were briefed on the plan this week by John Tapics, the chief executive of the mine's proponents, the Compliance Energy Consortium.

He said the opening date was conditional on getting all the necessary approvals from the province in a timely manner.

The consortium hoped to formally submit its application to develop the underground mine this May, and during the summer there would be opportunity for additional public review and input.

They expected a decision from the province in early 2011, and if that was positive they would need 18 months for construction before mining operations could actually begin.

The company hoped to extract 2.2 million tons of material from the ground each year, but only about half of that was likely to be marketable coal.

After cleaning, between 0.9 and 1.5 million tons would be transported from the site each year, probably on 42-ton covered coal trucks headed for Port Alberni. From there most of it would be shipped to Asia for use in steelmaking.

He expected the mine to have an operational life of 20-25 years and create about 200 full-time jobs on site.

Other workers would be needed to transport the coal and there would be employment spin-offs for the rest of the community that could amount to anything between 300 and 500 jobs, he predicted.

He said engineering studies and an environmental assessment process were now underway that would include public input.

He was aware of concerns that had been aired at local meetings, particularly about surface and groundwater issues, and these would be addressed in the assessment.

A community advisory group had been established to identify all issues that needed attention.

"The project is committed to working with the community, First Nations, and all levels of government to develop a project that is environmentally and socially responsible," he said.

"Opportunities for input will be provided at every stage of the process. More open houses and meetings will be held as the project progresses."

He stressed the mine site would be in the Cowie Creek watershed, not the Tsable River watershed.

About 200 hectares (about 500 acres) of land would be needed on the surface for the mine operations but the underground workings would extend over about 3,100 hectares (31 square kilometres or 12 square miles).

Councillor Doug Hillian said the legacy of earlier mines in the area made it understandable why people had concerns.

The potential impact on wildlife, watersheds, salmon habitat and the wider Baynes Sound aquaculture industry were all key issues, as was the potential negative effect on other jobs in the area if there was a major incident at the mine.

And Coun. Jon Ambler, while noting it was exciting to see a project that could bring high-paying jobs to the area, was concerned about what would be left when the mine eventually closed.

Tapics said a reclamation plan would have to be developed from the start, and bonding would be put in place to ensure sufficient funds would always be available to complete that work if anything happened to the operating company.

Ambler also wanted to know if the coal washing process would use any chemicals, and if there would be any toxic ponds that could leak.

Tapics explained the separation process, and in a direct answer on the use of chemicals he responded: "No - none whatsoever."

Councillor Ronna-Rae Leonard said there was a lack of reliable data on aquifers, and she was concerned about the impact on them in view of their importance to water supply in the area.

Tapics said the company recognized the importance of water supply to homes and businesses in the area. It was already committed to commissioning a groundwater hydro-geological review, and all the data from the drilling and models prepared would be made public.

Supporting the project, Coun. Murray Presley said that assuming the environmental issues were properly addressed, the project would be a great benefit to the Comox Valley in terms of employment.

Some people, he noted, looked at projects such as this from a negative viewpoint, others from a positive one. He was in the second camp.

No decisions were taken on the issue, but Mayor Greg Phelps thanked Tapics for the update.

© Comox Valley Echo 2010