Straightening out the 10 km. Ajax issue
Full text of emails referenced in last post on Ajax mine.
Date: July 28, 2011 4:46:36 PM PDT
Cc: (Various people in government)
Subject: Proposed Ajax Project – Environmental Assessment – Re: “Just how close is that new mine?’, Mel Rothenburger
The Environmental Assessment Office provides the following information to address an inaccuracy in the article regarding the location of the proposed Ajax Mine Project.
KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. submitted a Project Description to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency for the proposed Ajax Project in May 2011, which was then posted on the EAO’s website.
During the public comment period from June 8 to July 11, 2011, the EAO received comments expressing concern that the manner in which the proposed project location was described in the proponent’s Project Description was unclear and misleading because it stated that the proposed project was approximately ten kilometres from Kamloops.
Based on feedback received from the public, the EAO investigated how the distance was calculated and then directed the proponent to submit a revised Project Description prior to the end of the public comment period that more accurately described the location of the proposed project, including reference to its location with respect to the boundary of the City of Kamloops.
The proponent revised the Project Description (“Executive Summary”, page I, and “Section 3.0 – Project Location and Mapping”, page 6) to state that some components of the proposed mine, including the north waste-rock management facility, the processing facility and truck shop, and the tailings storage facility, would be within Kamloops city limits on Crown land and land privately owned by the proponent.
The proponent also revised Figure 5.2 in the Project Description to include a visual representation of the proposed project location in relation to the city boundary. The EAO posted the revised Project Description and Figure 5.2 on its website on July 7, 2011, which continue to be available to the public and can be accessed via the “News” section of the EAO homepage (www.eao.gov.bc.ca).
Nicole Vinette
Project Assessment Manager
Environmental Assessment Office
My response:
Good morning. I’m unclear from your email whether the “inaccuracy” to which you refer is with respect to the content of my column as it pertains to the location of the mine, or to the location of the mine as originally described by the proponent and circulated by your office. In any case, for your interest I have copied and pasted this morning from your office’s website the following two entries:
Ajax Mine Project
2011/07/20
$535,000,000
Abacus Mining and Exploration proposes to develop a new copper and gold mine with a production capacity of 21.9 million of ore per year. The mine life expectancy is 23 years.
$535,000,000
10 km southwest of Kamloops
Nicole Vinette, Environmental Assessment Office
250-387-2406
Ajax Mine Project
Type: Typical EA Process (Active and Complete)
Status: Pre-Application
Category: Mining Pre-application
Start Date: 2011/02/25
Comments: Abacus Mining and Exploration proposes to develop a new copper and gold mine with a production capacity of 21.9 million of ore per year. The mine life expectancy is 23 years.
Location: 10 km southwest of Kamloops
As you can see, in at least two instances, your website continues as of today to include the erroneous information about the location of the Ajax mine.
Mel Rothenburger,
Editor
ArmchairMayor.ca 
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