The BC Environmental Assessment Office recently concluded that an Environmental Assessment will be required for the Record Ridge mine (see full details in the press release below) and we are inviting you to come celebrate with us at another Mountain Monday event hosted by Rossland Beer Co. The event will be held on Monday, August 19th, from 5 pm until close.
Rossland Beer Co. will again donate a portion of the proceeds to SRRAC, helping us continue our efforts. We will also put out a jar for cash donations.
SRRAC members will be on hand to talk about this recent win, provide updates on the overall process, and answer any questions you may have. This will be a great opportunity to enjoy a cold beer, talk to other residents about this, support a vital cause, and stay informed about our progress.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Save Record Ridge Action Committee
EAO Concludes that Environmental Assessment is Required for Record Ridge Mine
August 15, 2024. ROSSLAND, BC - Residents of Rossland, BC and the surrounding area are celebrating a recent report from the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) that concludes a full Environmental Assessment is required for the proposed Record Ridge magnesium mine.
The report, issued on August 13 (attached), outlines attempts by WHY Resources that would have the project categorized as a construction stone and industrial mineral quarry, allowing it to fall below the threshold that automatically triggers an environmental assessment. However, after a thorough review, the EAO determined that the project should be classified as a mineral mine, given the nature of the material being extracted, which is a mineral. The EAO concluded that as the project exceeds the thresholds for mineral mines that are set out in the Reviewable Projects Regulation (RPR) it must undergo a comprehensive environmental assessment before it can proceed.
The report also discusses concerns expressed by the public and by organizations including the Colville Federated Tribes, the Shuswap Band of the Secwépemc Nation, the City of Rossland, the Regional District of Kootenay-Boundary, the Washington State Department of Ecology, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Save Record Ridge Action Committee, and Wildsight.
"After more than a year of intensive community effort to prevent this project from going ahead, we are now taking a moment to celebrate," says Elissa Ferguson with the Save Record Ridge Action Committee. "The EAO's decision validates the need to properly categorize the project and carefully consider its impacts, which local residents and organizations have been voicing for some time. We now have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure that the risks of this project are properly examined in the course of the Environmental Assessment process."
The EAO report emphasizes that regardless of the project design, increased consideration needs to be given to identifying and mitigating the impacts of the project. SRRAC welcomes this approach as it would mean that WHY Resources cannot avoid an EA by simply reducing production capacity.
The proposed Record Ridge magnesium mine is located 7.5 kilometres southwest of Rossland and is in the immediate vicinity of the famous Seven Summits Trail, a major tourism draw in the Kootenay-Boundary. Critics of the project warn that the open pit mine would have a devastating impact on the thriving local economy, the environment, and on the health and wellbeing of residents and businesses. As part of its submissions to the EAO, SRRAC submitted 78 affidavits and 39 impact statements from local residents and business operators, along with a petition signed by more than 1300 people as well as expert reports by a mineralogist, a professional engineer specializing in water quality, and a public health specialist.
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