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Signature Sponsor
By Kimberley Vlasic
December 16, 2018 - In Canada, the creation of an advisory committee to oversee a mine expansion in Sparwood marks a new chapter in the town’s mining history.
Teck Coal is currently in the post-certification stage of the Environmental Assessment process for the Baldy Ridge Extension (BRE) project at Elkview Operations.
The project will extend the overall life of the steelmaking coal mine until 2045 and increases the disturbance area of the operation by 862 hectares.
It’s part of a broader plan to better understand and provide recommendation for the management of community impacts on Sparwood related to the BRE project.
At the December 3 regular meeting of council, the District of Sparwood established the SCEEAC, adopted the Terms of Reference and appointed the 12 committee members who will represent the District, Teck and the community.
The SCEEAC consists of: Councillors Jason Christensen and Joe Jarina, Don Sander (Elkview Operations General Manager), Nic Milligan (Teck’s Manager of Social Responsibility), Chris Stroich (Elkview Operations Environmental Superintendent), and volunteer community members Allison Burton, Don Crawford, John Ralph, Keenan Adams, Maeve Scannell, Tracey Brook-Baker, and Wes Pinsent.
The SCEEAC will receive information from Teck as well as community input and feedback.
It will also review plans and propose adjustments to the mitigation measures for various impacts that BRE has on the Sparwood community. These could include visual impacts, noise, blasting/vibration and dust.
Another role of the SCEEAC will be to take part in the Livability Study, which was initiated in September and will continue into the summer of 2019.
The study will evaluate the quality of life in Sparwood and its relation to mining operations. A consultant has been appointed and public engagement is anticipated to start in January.
Teck and the District are expected to release a joint statement regarding SCEEAC this week. Learn more about Condition 21, the advisory committee, and the livability study at Sparwood.ca/livable. |
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