‘We’re going to do what we’re asked to do,’ KGHM says of possible new public comment period on Ajax

NEWS/ AJAX — The company that wants to build an open-pit copper mine south of Kamloops has no objections to another public comment period if that’s what the B.C. Environmental Assessment office decides, a spokesperson said today.

Kamloops City council voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the EA to set a new formal comment period in view of KGHM International’s changes to the site plan for the proposed Ajax mine. The new plan would move tailings storage and some other components of the mine to ranch land south of Jacko Lake.

The changes don’t affect the open pit itself, but council wants an opportunity for the public to provide input and ask questions about whether the redrawing of the site plan will have an impact on the assessment information requirements that set up a framework for the environmental permit application.

“As we’ve done in the past, we’ll continue to work with the environmental assessment office,” said Robin Bartlett.

She said the corporation still expects to submit its application by the end of the first quarter of 2015. She said requiring another public comment period could potentially cause a delay “but we’re going to do what we’re asked to do.”

EA project leader Scott Bailey said in a letter to Mayor Peter Milobar that the Working Group, a technical committee that meets from time to time on the project, discussed the effect of the new site plan on the AIR during a meeting June 23, and will be considering it during the summer.

He also pointed out that KGHM recently held three public open houses.

However, council wants the EA to provide both a public-information session on the EA process and a new public comment period.