TCM's plans to mine Hud Bay Mtn at Smithers is currently in the environmental review stage.
This email bulletin received today originates from a Smithers' group opposed to its plans.
It indicates there's still lots of local opposition to the plan and its review process.
Will the BC government approve such a controversial development this close to an election?
I doubt it, and this would set it back years possibly resulting in TCM acquiring other minable properties.
The upshot could be good news for other moly properties in the region (imo).
HBMN email bulletin re Mayor Davidson's position
-----Original Message-----
From: major-bounces@hbmn.ca [mailto:major-bounces@hbmn.ca] On Behalf Of Morgan Hite
Sent: September 16, 2008 3:25 PM
To: major@hbmn.ca
Subject: [HBMN - Major news list] Mayor Jim Davidson's position
Hi all,
Last week Jim Davidson, Mayor of Smithers, spoke with Hudson Bay Mountain Neighbourhoods (HBMN) to discuss the Blue Pearl Mine.
He wanted us to know that he is in the process of composing a letter to the Interior News (next week's edition) regarding the Davidson Project.
He asked us to convey this message to our members. He is not in support of the currently proposed mine plan and feels that the EA process is not working in favour of community needs.
He made the following points:
It is not acceptable that the application for this project is based on a 10 year mine plan and 10 year feasibility study. The deposit is the largest undeveloped ore body in Canada, it could be mined for many more years (30 years as far as we know, perhaps more). These high grading practices are unacceptable. Sustainability needs to be sustainability for the community.
Mine site and infrastructure should be on the back of the mountain. (The present plan does not require a mill. First Nations also made it clear that they do not want a mill.) It should not make a difference if a haul route of over 7 km is built on the front of the mountain or the back of the mountain and Blue Pearl will have to tunnel anyway (Note: this is an option that BPM strongly objected to - as tunneling through the mountain would mean a new environmental assessment and 2 years of tunnel construction before mining could start, thereby delaying production).
If the 10-year current mine plan was to be extended to 30 years in the proposed location - 'the front of the mountain', it would have negative effects on Smithers and the community – the Bulkley Valley. "Can you imagine what that would mean for the community?"
The EA process is insufficient.
The public consultation process is insufficient. It is incomprehensible to think that one public consultation on the Application (1 1/2 hr) will be seen as being enough for a project of that magnitude. The Town of Smithers has not been sufficiently consulted with for the EA, and BPM has not been consulting with the Town on its own accord either.
Mayor Davidson does not want to make a geographic distinction between
Town and rural area; we are a not a Town, we are a community.
- Morgan Hite, for HBMN
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