Information gaps stall Raven Coal mine approval

BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) to stall giving Compliance Energy the green light. — Photo courtesy Infomine.com

Too many gaps in the information provided on its application has prompted the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) to stall giving Compliance Energy the green light for its proposed Raven Coal mine in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.

The project was in its final stage of an extensive environmental review process. The EAO stated it found a lack of consultation with First Nations, gaps in information about the mine's effect on local drinking water and air quality, and a failure to explain how the project’s industrial waste and tailings impact would be mitigated over the long term.

This lack of information needs to be rectified before the EAO will consider the application again. It would appear that Compliance Energy has intentions to re-submit an application to the EAO with additional information.

The proposed Raven Underground Coal Project would contribute about $1.1 billion to the economies of the Comox Valley, Port Alberni and surrounding regions according to estimates prepared as part of the project’s comprehensive federal and provincial environmental assessment process.