Likely, B.C. – B.C.’s Chief Inspector of Mines has approved an amendment to the Mount Polley Mine Corporation Mines Act permit to allow the company to begin repairs of the breach in its tailings storage facility dam.
The repair work is part of the long-term remediation plan for the area impacted by the Mount Polley breach. The work at the tailings storage facility will help ensure that the increased water flow from  the spring freshet will not result in
further  impacts to the environment.

The amendment to the mine’s permit only authorizes the company to undertake the approved breach repair work and sets out a number of conditions that must be followed by Mount Polley Mining Corporation. The amendment does not allow the mine to restart its ore processing operations.

The Mines Act permit amendment application and geotechnical design for the breach repair was reviewed by the Cariboo Mine Development Review Committee, which includes technical representatives from the Government of British
Columbia, Williams Lake Indian Band, Xat’sull First Nation, Cariboo Regional District, Community of Likely, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The tailings pond burst open  on August 4th, sending millions of cubic meters of  tailings laden water  into Lake Polley, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake.