![\"Mount](\"https:\/\/resourcework2.devstudio.work\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Mount-Polley-photos-Social-66-1024x768.jpg\")
But anyone concerned about tailings dam safety should not be objecting to its fortification. Having the dam at a proper height to manage excess water during spring freshets is a safety issue. Does anyone really want inadequate tailings storage at Mount Polley? Had the Xat\u015b\u016bll\u2019s recent injunction application been granted, it could have led to the mine shutting down, because you can’t continue to produce ore and tailings without proper tailings storage. “If you have no place to store your tailings, you can’t be milling stuff,” Kynoch told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s worth noting that the other First Nation in the immediate vicinity of Mount Polley mine — the Williams Lake First Nation — supports the mine and applauds the recent dismissal of the Xat\u015b\u016bll’s injunction application. \u201cWe support and hold up the court\u2019s decision to dismiss the petition,\u201d Williams Lake First Nations Chief Willie Sellars said in a press release. “Mount Polley is a vital part of our regional economy, offering stable jobs and contributing to programs that benefit both WLFN members and the wider community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We often hear about a regulatory environment in Canada that makes it almost impossible to get things built in Canada. Even our political leaders have acknowledged the problem. But even after projects receive “social licence” and regulatory approval to get built, they can continue to face ongoing attempts to shut them down. \u201cThere are significant challenges facing project advancement in British Columbia today,” Kynoch said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Well-considered decisions made by expert regulatory authorities following extensive consultations are frequently contested, at great expense, increasing risk to projects through permitting delays and causing uncertainty for operators and their employees and contractors.” Providing Imperial gets the permit it needs for its mine extension, the mine will have about eight more years of operating life. With copper prices close to US$4.50 per pound and gold at US$3,300 per ounce, Kynoch said he expects 2025 to be a pretty good year. “Next year it will be a little bit skinnier,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its recent second quarter financials, Imperial reported income from mining increased from $39 million in June 2024 to $81.3 million in June 2025. The increase was attributed largely to increased gold production and higher gold prices. As for the Huckleberry mine, Kynoch said copper prices would need to be higher than they are now to make a mine restart economically feasible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Huckleberry was shut down in 2015 due to low copper prices. “At the time, we said if the price stayed above $3 we could work our way through,” Kynoch said. But copper fell below US$3 per pound, so the mine was shut down. Today, copper prices would need to be above US$4.50 per pound to warrant a restart. “If I look at the cost of operating in 2015 to 2025, copper needs to be more than $4.50 to keep up with inflation,” Kynoch said. “Even though $4.50 sounds really good, it’s kind of like $3 copper in 2015.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nelson Bennett\u2019s column appears weekly at Resource Works News. Contact him at\u00a0nelson@resourceworks.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Court dismisses challenge to raising Mount Polley dam<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":99200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[703],"tags":[18,87,11],"class_list":["post-99198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-economy","tag-feature","tag-mining"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n