What happened at the Mt Polley mine?
Summary. A tailings dam failure at the Mount Polley Mine occurred on August 4, 2014 resulting in the loss of about 17 million cubic meters of water and 8 million cubic meters of tailings/materials into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake having significant impact.
Why did Mount Polley failure?
An independent report into the disaster said the dam was built on a sloped glacial lake, weakening its foundation. It said the inadequate design of the dam didn’t account for drainage or erosion failures associated with glacial till beneath the pond.
Who owns Mt Polley mine?
Mount Polley Mining Corporation
Mount Polley mine is owned and operated by Mount Polley Mining Corporation (MPMC), a subsidiary of Imperial.
Is Mount Polley mine reopening?
May. 7, 2022 1:30 p.m.
When did Mount Polley close?
It consists of two open-pit sites with an underground mining component and is owned and operated by the Mount Polley Mining Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Metals Corporation….Mount Polley mine.
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Discovered | 1969 |
| Opened | 1997 |
| Closed | 2019 |
| Owner |
Who owns Imperial Metals?
N. Murray Edwards
Imperial Metals’ majority owner, N. Murray Edwards, currently boasts a net worth of $2.9 billion, making him one of the wealthiest Canadians. Companies owned by Edwards have historically been major donors to the BC Liberals, who governed the province for 16 years until one year ago.
Where is Mount Polley mine?
central British Columbia
On Aug. 4, 2014, a four-square-kilometre tailings pond breached at Mount Polley mine in central British Columbia, leaking vast amounts of water and effluent into Polley and Quesnel lakes and Hazeltine Creek.
Is there gold mines in Canada?
In 2020, mine production increased in Quebec, Manitoba and in the Other P/T category (includes: Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Newfoundland and Alberta) while production fell in Ontario, and British Columbia. Ontario and Quebec produced 71% of the gold mined in Canada in 2020.
What does Imperial Metals mine?
Imperial Metals Corporation is a Vancouver based mining company active in the acquisition, exploration, development, mining and production of base and precious metals. Our principal properties in British Columbia include the wholly owned Mount Polley and Huckleberry copper mines, a 30% interest in the Red Chris mine.
How much gold is left in the earth?
According to the US Geological Survey, the underground gold reserves are currently estimated at about 50,000 tons. From this perspective, a total of around 190,000 tonnes of gold has been mined like mentioned before, although these numbers vary.
Is Red Chris mine underground?
Red Chris is an operating open pit mining both the East and Main Zone resources. The underground Mineral Reserves are based on transitioning from open pit to underground mining of the East Zone resource at depth.