Ajax information session yes, but ‘don’t see the need’ for new public comment period
UPDATE — City councillors appear to have different interpretations of a letter from the B.C. Environmental Assessment office in response to council’s request for a new official public-comment period on changes to the Ajax mine plan.
Coun. Tina Lange said today (Monday) the letter from Scott Bailey, the EAO’s project director on Ajax, sounds like a “flat no.”
Coun. Nelly Dever said she thinks the EAO is leaving the door open and that council needs to “push” the province more for approval of another public comment period.
NEWS/ AJAX — The City will get the public-information session on Ajax it asked for, but the B.C. Environmental Assessment office is hedging on whether to allow a new public comment period based on changes to the site plan for the proposed open-pit copper mine south of Kamloops.
Scott Bailey, the EAO’s project director on the Ajax file, says in a letter to City council that while he earlier suggested a broad-based public information session be held closer to when KGHM International submits its environmental permit application — expected early next year — he “would be happy” to hold one sooner and will work with staff on a possible date in early to mid-October.
However, Bailey was not so ready to grant a new public comment period. He said changes to the AIR/ EISg issued in June 2013 will focus on updating the description and boundaries of the project, not the type of information to be studied.
(AIR/ EISg is the Application Information Requirements and Environmental Impact Statement guidelines that outline what must be addressed in the company’s environmental permit application.)
“As a result, I do not currently see the need for a public comment period on revisions to the AIR/ EISg,” said Bailey.
He didn’t close the door entirely, saying he and his staff “will be noting any rationale that may support an additional public comment period. I expect to be in a position to discuss this with the Agency and make a final determination on this request in the early fall.”
Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, meanwhile, won’t be coming to Kamloops to tour the mine site. In a letter going before City council Tuesday, the minister turns down an invitation from City council, saying “I must decline at this time.”
Mayor Peter Milobar wrote Aglukkaq back in March saying an on-the-ground view of the project might help in determining if a federal panel review is warranted. She said she’s “confident” the environmental effects of the project can be assessed through the federal-provincial process.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
We drove by HVC and were shocked by what we saw. The word “pond” is very deceptive, lake would be more appropriate. I think every person in Kamloops should view HVC to get an idea what we will have on our doorstep. Its devastating to think about the city of Kamloops in a few years or when Ajax is done with it. I wish we had never seen HVC because it seems surreal that something like that would be allowed less than two kms from residential neighborhoods. Its obvious that in the scheme of big business people matter less than nothing at all.
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I agree. I did a drive by of Highland Valley, too. I think we should all do it despite the chilling surreal feeling – information is power. You sure don’t understand the scale and scope of the planned project by driving around the grasslands in Knutsford on a tour of the Ajax site. The scope of this project (Ajax) is hard to get a handle on if you haven’t worked in large scale open pit mining and actually seen just how large the piles, lakes etc are.
It is worth remembering that the company is allowed to expand 50% without triggering a new assessment and public comment period. Do you think the plan that is currently on the table is what we will actually end up with? If they want to expand in the future, do you think they will come clean now? If there is more ore closer to Kamloops, would they tell us now and risk more opposition, or would they wait until they just need a permit amendment? This could be a very slippery slope. I hope that Kamloops City Council and Kamloopsians will be wary.
Lots more questions – not many answers from the government, the EAO or the company yet. We need to make sure we keep asking and keep encouraging other citizens to take part in learning more.
Mr Rothenburger, do you know if the city has sent in any more questions to the BCEAO on our behalf in light of the new tailings storage design and the Mt Polley disaster? I looked on the city webpage, but I can’t find anything. I would love to know what they are doing to address this issue.
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The Provincial and Federal Environmental officials have been caught up in the ‘War on Science “, information is suspect and democracy suffers . The latest “rock snot ” conversation is a good example of the state of political freedom of information . The current Environmental Ministers at both levels were not chosen for their knowledge , they are over their heads . Question authority , a EAP ad is not information .
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“As a result, I do not currently see the need for a public comment period on revisions to the AIR/ EISg,” said Bailey.”
He doesn’t think the residents downstream from the mine project have new questions given the change from the dry stack tailings to the cheaper tailings “pond” design? Did he miss the whole Mt Polley disaster? I think the residents of downtown (and the rest of the city) deserve to be able to ask questions. It is rare to have a project so close to people that puts them at risk like Ajax. They should be educated (preferably not by the company’s spin meisters). They should have a chance to tell the regulators, the province and the city how they feel about being exposed to risk without benefit.
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