Raising a fuss over raising a dam – Resource Works

Aug 14, 2025

Imperial Metals’ shares shot up 12% last week, on Aug. 7, following a BC Supreme Court decision denying an injunction application challenging the regulatory approval of a plan to raise Mount Polley’s tailings dam. It was a minor victory for Imperial Metals. But the company isn’t quite out of the woods yet, says Imperial Metals CEO Brian Kynoch. If the Mount Polley mine is to continue operating and employing 390 workers, it needs a permit from the B.C. government to allow for a mine life extension. “If that doesn’t come soon, we may be put in jeopardy of significantly revising operation plans, or even ceasing operations if the amendment process is not expedited,” Kynoch warned at a press conference last week, after the court ruling.

Imperial Metals, which owns and operates the Mount Polley open-pit copper-gold mine between Williams Lake and Quesnel, also owns the Huckleberry mine, which is currently shut down, and 30% of the Red Chris mine. Mount Polley has operated since the late 1990s. As the mine’s deposits become exhausted, an expansion is needed to extend its mine life. But to safely accommodate the expansion, the company needs to raise its tailings dam by four metres. An application to raise the dam was approved by the minister of Environment, but was challenged by the Xatśūll First Nation, which sought an injunction — an injunction dismissed last week. Raising a tailings pond enclosure is, or should be, routine stuff. Most open-pit mines need to maintain and upgrade tailings ponds. It’s not the sort of thing that should trigger a legal challenge.

Read More: https://resourceworks.com/mount-polley-imperial-metals/