Taseko Mines announced that the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has cleared the way for Taseko to undertake geotechnical work at the New Prosperity Gold-Copper Project near Williams Lake, BC.
Image: The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has cleared the way for Taseko to undertake geotechnical work at the project. Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay.
The SCC, Canada’s highest legal authority, has spoken. It has dismissed the Tsilhqot’in First Nation application to appeal an earlier judgement by the BC Supreme Court and by the British Columbia Court of Appeal and in doing so it has also confirmed the resilience of British Columbia’s current mine permitting process.
“Getting permission to mine in British Columbia may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. It just takes patience,” said Russell Hallbauer, President and CEO of Taseko. “The SCC decision is clear, Provincial permits authorizing mineral exploration and development can, if done with care and consideration, withstand any possible legal challenge.”
“For New Prosperity, this is an important point in time. The law has been tested at the highest levels, the legal challenges are over, the permit is sound, the work can and will proceed. What this ruling does mean is that we are taking the steps necessary to get closer to the day when such a decision can be made to build New Prosperity,” continued Mr. Hallbauer.
“The New Prosperity deposit is rare, the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposit in Canada and easily among the top 15 in the world. It can be a powerhouse for economic change in BC’s central interior. It can be a positive game changer for First Nations as well. With BC lumber manufacturers closing mills and curtailing operations, potential mines like New Prosperity offer renewed hope and opportunity, especially for the people of the central interior. People should never give up on its potential, nor the value and opportunity it can deliver to all the people of BC,” concluded Mr. Hallbauer.”
Source: Company Press Release