A proposed underground gold mine in Wells, east of Quesnel, took a big step forward Tuesday, after being issued an environmental assessment certificate by the B.C. government.
The assessment of Osisko Develpment Corp.'s Cariboo Gold project involved extensive consultation with technical experts, First Nations, provincial agencies, local governments, a community advisory committee and the public.
The government included 22 legally binding conditions in the environmental assessment certificate, intended to prevent or reduce potential adverse environmental, economic, social, cultural and health effects from Cariboo Gold.
Some of those conditions included:
- a plan to minimize impacts on the local community and tourism, through: a limit on the maximum allowable noise from the project;
- performing blasting only during the day
- using vegetation to screen buildings and other facilities to minimize visual impacts for residents and visitors
- limiting truck traffic near residential areas
- strict policies around work camps, including to prevent gender-based violence and restrict use of tourist accommodations by workers
- hiring 75 percent of workers from the region (if qualified)
- supporting community events to promote arts and culture.
- establishing a new, clean drinking water supply for the District of Wells;
- mitigation and monitoring measures to reduce emissions and maintain air quality;
- managing effects on the environment, in particular to mitigate impacts to wildlife, habitat and bodies of water, overseen by an independent environmental monitor;
- working with the Province to support remediation in the District of Wells and along the shore of Jack of Clubs Lake, contaminated by a previous mine's tailings containing arsenic, cobalt, cadmium, lead and other contaminants; and
- a specific plan to minimize impacts to the Barkerville woodland caribou herd, including monitoring, mitigation measures and offsets for habitat disturbance.
Osisko also must hold regular community meetings and ensure timely response to concerns.
The project will employ an average of 200 workers during construction, peaking at close to 300 workers, and will employ almost 500 during operations.
