B.C. approves block-caving for Red Chris Mine, site where three workers were trapped
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $1.44 a week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government has approved an amended environment assessment certificate for block-caving at the Red Chris Mine, the same site where three workers were trapped last July.
The copper and gold mine in northwestern B.C. is already operating as an open pit mine, but the amended environmental assessment will allow for block-caving, an underground mining method.
The workers were more than 500 metres down when they were trapped by two collapses, although they remained safe in a refuge station until they were rescued more than two days later.
The workers were performing specialized exploratory drilling for the mine’s transition to the block-cave mining method when they were trapped.
The government says the decision to approve a changed environmental assessment certificate was made after it reviewed a report from the Environmental Assessment Office and the Tahltan Central Government gave its consent for the change.
The approval also comes with 27 binding conditions for the certification, including monitoring water and air quality and ground stability.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.