Green Light for Red Chris

Rhona Macintosh - The Core

The Red Chris project in northern B.C. has received a green light from the Supreme Court of Canada to go ahead with permitting and construction. This is a good thing for both the mining industry as well as the communities in an area that badly needs economic stimulus.

Gavin Dirom, President and CEO of AME BC, and Pierre Gratton, President & CEO of the Mining Association of B.C. both consider the Red Chris project very important for B.C., and report that the associations are pleased with the court’s decision.

B.C. is experiencing a renaissance of mineral development and a decision to harmonize federal and provincial environmental assessment will go a long way in creating more efficient means of permitting operations. Pierre Gratton calls the ruling “ammunition for change.”

The Red Chris project, in addition to the Highway 37 transmission line, will pump employment opportunities into an area that has been hit hard by the recession and has experienced a decline in forestry jobs. The project will provide construction jobs as the operation is built, as well as sustainable employment throughout the life span of the site.

The quality and thoroughness of Red Chris environmental assessment has been recognized by the Supreme Court. Gratton points out that any rulings made to minimize overlap of the federal and provincial processes must not compromise the quality of assessment. While there is room for improvement on this issue, this has been an important first step towards more efficient, coordinated environmental assessment.

Location of Red Chris.