What happened at Mount Polley?
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 investigation into the cause of the spill revealed mine engineers failed to account for glacial silt underneath the tailings containment pond, leading to structural insufficiencies that caused the dam’s collapse. No charges or fines have been laid in response to the disaster.
How did the Mount Polley mine disaster affect the environment?
24 million cubic metres of mine waste spilled into nearby waterways when the Mount Polley dam breached in 2014. The Mount Polley mine tailings spill that sent more than 24 million cubic metres of mine waste into nearby waterways in 2014 continues to impact lakes, rivers and aquatic ecosystems, according to a new study.
Is Mount Polley mine open?
Mount Polley is planning to reopen in the Spring of 2022 to meet the global demand of copper and gold. The Mount Polley Mining Corporation estimates that the reopening of the mine will add 300 local jobs….Mount Polley mine.
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1997 |
| Closed | 2019 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Imperial Metals Corporation |
Where is Mount Polley mine?
British Columbia
Mount Polley is an open pit copper/gold mine with an underground component located in south-central British Columbia, 56 kilometres northeast of Williams Lake.
Where do mine tailings go?
Tailings, most often in the form of a wet slurry, are conventionally stored above-ground behind earthen dams. There is no comprehensive global registry of tailings dams. It is estimated there are around 18,000 dams, 3,500 of which are active.
Who owns the Mount Polley mine?
Mount Polley Mining Corporation
Mount Polley mine is owned and operated by Mount Polley Mining Corporation (MPMC), a subsidiary of Imperial.
What is tailings pond breach?
On Aug. 4, 2014, the tailings dam of Imperial Metals Corp.’s Mount Polley copper and gold mine near Likely, British Columbia, Canada, failed, releasing 7.3 million m3 of tailings, 10.6 million m3 of water, and 6.5 million m3 of interstitial water into the environment.
Who owned the Mount Polley mine?
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.
What happens to tailings after mining is finished?
Because tailings originate in slurry form they are dumped in or near water, contaminating the water and destroying aquatic life. Tailings also can be transported by wind or water to contaminate other areas. Mine wastewater containing metals and chemicals can also leach into nearby waterways.
What happened to the Mount Polley dam?
The Mount Polley tailings dam in British Columbia (BC), Canada, failed in 2014, spilling approximately 21 million m3 of water and tailings (estimated as approximately 50/50 water and tailings) into Hazeltine Creek, Polley Lake, and Quesnel Lake. In January 2015, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) issued a report by the
Is ‘business as usual’ to blame for the Mount Polley disaster?
After the Mount Polley disaster, a panel appointed to review the breach found that if mining companies are left to conduct “business as usual,” the province could face an average of two dam failures every 10 years.
Will Mount Polley recommendations lead to a more responsible mining regime?
“If we actually implemented all the Mount Polley expert panel recommendations fully … we would go a long way to a more responsible mining regime in the province,” Skuce said.
How many tailings dams have failed in 5 years?
Much has happened over the last five years with four tailings dam failures. Similar to how the practices of geo-technical engineering and engineering geology have advanced for more than.