Smithers, B.C. –  The Morrison Mine  has work to do before  it will be granted a permit to  operate.

The Minister of Environment and  the Minister of Mines, have  given the  owners of the   proposed mine, Pacific Booker Minerals, 3 years to  provide  more information and  undergo further assessment.

Located about 65 kms northeast of Smithers,  this proposed open pit copper-gold mine  has a  planned extraction rate of about 30,000 tonnes a day and a mine life of 21 years.

The Ministers say there are a number of  outstanding issues with the proposal including issues of risk and uncertainty  about the mine’s design and the proposed mitigation measures.  There  is also  not enough baseline  information and understanding  of the Morrison Lake ecosystem which  has a sockeye salmon population.

The ministers concluded  the information that has been made available to them  hasn’t given them  confidence the mine’s current design  won’t harm the environment.

The Ministers have also  called for more information  including  at least one year  of baseline  information on Morrison Lake  and additional information and data on a variety of  matters including groundwater,  alternate mine designs,  alternate tailings management plans,  and  further  engagement  with the Lake Babine Nation and other First Nations on  how the mine’s operations could impact Aboriginal interests.