Latest news with #ElkValleyResources
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Revised Elk Valley coal mine expansion still raises water pollution concerns in southeast B.C.
In the midst of an international inquiry into transboundary water pollution from southeast B.C. coal mines, Elk Valley Resources has submitted a revised proposal for new mining in the region. The company's proposal revises one that was first submitted by Teck Resources, the previous owner of the Elk Valley coal mines. In 2023, the provincial government directed Teck Resources to revise its proposal following a dispute resolution process initiated by the Ktunaxa Nation Council, which opposed the project over the risk of what it called 'extraordinary adverse effects.' Elk Valley Resource's revised project description for the Fording River Extension Project, which it submitted to B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office last month, proposes a two-phase approach to developing a smaller mine, with a shorter lifespan, with plans to restore mined areas incrementally throughout operations rather than waiting until mine operations have ended. It also limits the risks from waste rock dumps to a creek that has so far been largely unaffected by coal mine pollution and incorporates additional water quality measures. Simon Wiebe, mining policy and impacts researcher with the Kootenay-based conservation group Wildsight, said the changes to the Fording River extension proposal are largely positive. 'But at the end of the day, the mine hasn't changed sufficiently for us to not oppose it at all,' he said. 'They're still knocking down an entire mountain.' Ktunaxa Nation Council and Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi'it, one of the four Ktunaxa First Nations in B.C., were involved in revisions to the mine proposal, Chris Stannell, Elk Valley Resources communication manager, said. While Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi'it Nasuʔkin (Chief) Heidi Gravelle said the best-case scenario would be for the mine expansion to be taken off the table, she supports moving the proposal into the next phase of the environmental assessment process. Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi'it will continue to be actively involved throughout the environmental assessment process, she said. 'These are our lands and we're here to protect them, we're here to guide them.' New mining would risk additional water pollution If approved as currently proposed, the Fording River extension would see new mountaintop-removal coal mining on Castle Mountain, just south of Elk Valley Resources' existing Fording River Operations. The company says the expansion is necessary to maintain mine operations and sustain more than 1,500 jobs beyond the early 2030s to the early 2060s. Under the revised proposal, the extension project would have a total footprint of 4,326 hectares. About 2,295 hectares are within already permitted areas and include existing waste rock storage areas, a coal processing plant and a tailings storage facility. The new mining area at Castle Mountain, which is not yet permitted, is just over 2,000 hectares. In another shift from the original proposal, Elk Valley Resources is now pitching a staged approach to the project. Phase one would involve construction from 2028 to 2031 with mine operations until 2053. Construction for phase two would begin in 2044, when phase one operations are set to decline, with phase two mining planned for 2046 to 2065. A spokesperson for the Environmental Assessment Office said the next opportunity for public comment will be after the agency decides whether the project is ready to proceed through the environmental assessment process. Wiebe has urged the government to hold a second public comment period before that decision is made, noting the project has changed since consultations in 2023. The Elk Valley has been heavily impacted by historic coal mining dating back 130 years, as well as logging, a highway and rail corridor and residential development. The Fording River extension would add to existing impacts. It would mean losing more high-elevation grasslands in the area, which offer important wintering grounds for bighorn sheep and forage for elk and deer, for instance. 'This is irreplaceable habitat,' Wiebe said. The massive piles of waste rock left over from the mining process have been a source of water pollution for as long as coal has been mined from the Rocky Mountains of the Elk Valley. When the waste rock is exposed to rain and snow, naturally occurring minerals like selenium, which can cause deformities and reproductive issues in fish, seep into the water, eventually flowing into nearby creeks and rivers at levels well beyond what the B.C. government considers safe for aquatic life. Glencore, Elk Valley Resources' Swiss parent company, committed to ramping up treatment capacity when it took the mines over. Treatment facilities currently have the capacity to treat 77.5 million litres of water per day. According to the company, water treatment facilities are removing between 95 and 99 per cent of selenium from treated water, but not all water that flows downstream is treated. '[Elk Valley Resources] has made significant progress implementing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan,' Stannell said in an emailed statement. 'Selenium concentrations have stabilized and are now reducing downstream of treatment.' Three more water treatment projects now under construction are expected to increase water treatment capacity by another 50 million litres per day by 2027, according to the company's website. Selenium levels downstream of the Elk Valley coal mines remain well above B.C.'s guideline of two parts per billion. The B.C. government set selenium targets for the Fording River at 57 parts per billion closer to the mines and 40 parts per billion farther downstream. In the Elk River, the province set a target of 19 parts per billion. 'As a British Columbian, it's kind of embarrassing, to be honest, that we're entertaining this discussion,' Wiebe said. 'We have an international water pollution issue going on and we're talking about actively making it worse.' Gravelle said the risks of added water pollution and lost grasslands are major concerns for Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi'it. She also worries about what happens if the company were to walk away. 'Who's going to pay for that mess that is up there?' she asked. Late last month, the province released an updated Elk Valley Water Quality Plan, which aims for progressive improvements to water quality downstream of the mines. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment and Parks said 'the updated plan strengthens B.C.'s regulatory role and provides a clear framework for how decisions are made that affect water quality, ensuring the Ktunaxa First Nations are included.' The plan did not strengthen selenium targets. 'But it better prepares us to make these decisions going forward by providing guidance on the process for target review and amendment,' the spokesperson said. Meanwhile, a long-awaited international inquiry into Elk Valley coal mine pollution is underway. Water pollution from the mines flows from the Elk River into Lake Koocanusa, a vast reservoir spanning the Canada-U.S. border, before coursing through Montana and Idaho in the Kootenai River. In both states there are long-standing concerns about the impact of the pollution on vulnerable fish species. After more than a decade of pressure from the transboundary Ktunaxa Nation, which includes four First Nations in Canada, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, the federal governments in the U.S. and Canada agreed to involve the International Joint Commission. Its interim report is due in September. This story by Ainslie Cruickshank, The Narwhal, is available for use by Canadian Press clients through an agreement with The Narwhal. It was originally published in The Narwhal, a non-profit online magazine that publishes in-depth journalism about the natural world in Canada. Sign up for weekly updates at
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Glencore copper equivalent production grows 5% in H1 2025
Glencore has reported a 5% year-on-year (YoY) rise in copper equivalent (CuEq) production in the first half of 2025 (H1 2025). The growth was primarily attributed to the inclusion of steelmaking coal volumes from Elk Valley Resources (EVR), which Glencore acquired in July 2024. Steelmaking coal production totalled 15.7 million tonnes (mt). Own-sourced copper production stood at 343,900 tonnes (t) in H1 2025, a 26% slump YoY, mainly due to lower head grades and recoveries. The recoveries contributed to the reduced outputs from Collahuasi, Antapaccay, Antamina and KCC. Conversely, cobalt production saw a 19% increase to 18,900t in H1 2025, largely due to higher grades and volumes at Mutanda. Zinc production experienced a 12% uplift, with 465,200t produced. This was mainly due to higher grades at Antamina and increased production at McArthur River. Nickel production faced a 7% decline, with Murrin Murrin's maintenance downtime impacting results. The company's ferrochrome production was reduced by 28% to 433,000t. This was a strategic response to smelting conversion margin pressures, leading to the suspension of operations at the Boshoek and Wonderkop smelters. Energy coal production remained steady at 48.3mt, with stronger Australian production offsetting cuts at Cerrejón. Glencore CEO Gary Nagle said: 'A comprehensive review of our industrial asset portfolio during the period recognised opportunities to streamline our industrial operating structure, to optimise departmental management and reporting, and to support enhanced technical excellence and operational focus. 'This review also identified c.$1bn of cost savings opportunities (against a 2024 baseline) across our various operating structures, which are expected to be fully delivered by the end of 2026. H2 2025 is expected to already generate significant cost savings resulting from these initiatives – further details will be provided in our half-year results on 6 August.' Glencore has revised its full-year forecast for 2025, narrowing the expected copper production range to 850,000–890,000t from the previous estimate of 850,000–910,000t. It also revised its long-term EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) guidance range to $2.3bn (SFr1.87bn)–$3.5bn per annum, from the $2.2bn–$3.2bn in place since 2017. The revision was influenced by the sale of Viterra to Bunge, growth in core businesses and inflationary pressures. The company also said it invested approximately $1.1bn into non-RMI (readily marketable inventories) working capital in H1 2025, focusing on high-return commodity pre-pay and lending opportunities. Glencore's Ferroalloys business has indefinitely suspended operations at the Boshoek and Wonderkop smelters until the ferrochrome market has sufficiently recovered, and is undertaking maintenance at the Lion smelter. "Glencore copper equivalent production grows 5% in H1 2025" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Wall Street Journal
30-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Glencore's Steelmaking Coal Production Jumps But Gold, Copper Output Falls
Glencore's GLEN -0.59%decrease; red down pointing triangle steelmaking coal production in the first half soared following the integration of Elk Valley Resources, but copper and gold output fell. The Anglo-Swiss commodity mining and trading company produced 15.7 million metric tons of steelmaking coal in the first half of the year, more than quadruple the 3.4 million tons it produced in the same period of last year. This follows the integration of Elk Valley Resources business, which it acquired in July 2024, it said.
Vancouver Sun
18-07-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. coal mining operation seeks green light to expand as investigation into polluted water continues
A coal mine in southeastern B.C. is seeking to expand operations as an investigation is underway into cross-border water pollution from mining in the area. Glencore-owned Elk Valley Resources, which operates four steelmaking coal mines in the Elk Valley, has renewed a proposal to extend Fording River operations for another 35 years. The company is also proposing to expand operations by mining in a new area south of the existing mine. The coal mine is about 15 kilometres northeast from Elkford. Although the coal is for making steel — not burned for energy — critics argue the process still releases a large amount of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, and that toxic levels of minerals continue to contaminate rivers. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Last year, B.C. agreed to the International Joint Commission investigation into water pollution in the Elk-Kootenay watershed. The agreement involves both federal governments, along with B.C., the states of Montana and Idaho, and six Indigenous communities. The pollution, which was confirmed by the U.S. geological survey last year, comes from metallurgical coal mines in B.C.'s Elk Valley, where waste rock is causing selenium and other pollutants such as nitrates, nickel and calcite to leach into rivers. While rarely harmful to humans, selenium and calcite can damage fish populations by lowering reproductive success. Casey Brennan, conservation director for Wildsight, said Elk Valley Resources has been successful in bringing down the levels of selenium, but they remain above B.C.'s threshold for aquatic health in some areas. 'We believe there should be no new mining permitted until water contamination has been adequately addressed and long term solutions and environmental liability securities are in place,' said Brennan. He said calcite is a mounting concern. 'The creek bed looks like it is covered in concrete. It's like a white, solid kind of crust on the bottom of the creek, which has a terrible impact on fish habitat. So we are very concerned and we're not really getting any clear answers.' An earlier draft of the extension for Fording, then owned by Teck Coal, was rejected by the Ktunaxa Nations over those pollution concerns. In its 2022 submission, Ktunaxa wrote that members believed there was sufficient evidence the project would cause 'extraordinarily adverse effects.' Ktunaxa did not respond to a message by deadline. A year before, Teck was fined $60 million for damaging waterways in the Elk Valley — the largest fine issued for Fisheries Act offences. In 2023, it was fined again for $16 million. Since then, EVR has been in talks with the Ktunaxa and the Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi 'it nations to reduce the project's environmental footprint, EVR said in a statement Thursday. This includes reducing disturbances to habitat and bringing in new water quality measures. The statement said EVR has made significant progress implementing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan , a long-term plan to reduce selenium and improve the health of the watershed, while allowing for continued mining. 'We have constructed four water treatment facilities at our operations with capacity to treat 77.5 million litres of water per day, which are removing between 95 per cent and 99 per cent of selenium from treated water,' EVR said, adding three more treatment facilities are planned. A decision on whether to proceed with an environmental assessment of the project will be made after the commission wraps up its investigation, with recommendations expected in the fall of 2026. The rivers affected by mining flow through Sparwood and Fernie, into Lake Koocanusa on the U.S.-Canadian border, through Montana and Idaho, then back into B.C., past Creston and into Kootenay Lake. On a recent hike in Elk Valley, Brennan was overwhelmed by the idea of B.C. potentially expanding coal mining. 'They would use explosives to blow up the mountain…it blackens and flattens, creating a vegetation-free landscape,' he said. 'It really hits home, you know, hits me in my chest, just how much will be lost. There's going to be less sheep.' The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are a blue-listed species in B.C. that are vulnerable to human activities but not yet classified as endangered. In 2023, B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office issued a decision requiring then owner Teck to revise the proposal to address concerns from the Ktunaxa and Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi'it nations. The B.C. Environment Ministry said in an email this week that the province is 'fully supportive of the International Joint Commission process and is actively participating in a two-year study focused on water quality' in the watershed. EVR also stated it is ' committed to participating' in the investigation. B.C. aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 but the steelmaking coal industry contributes to global GHG emissions. Emissions from the burning of coal to make steel aren't counted in B.C.'s totals because the majority of coal is shipped to China. There are lower-carbon methods to make steel, such as using hydrogen, but it's cheaper to use coal, said Brennan, adding B.C. needs to start having a discussion about phasing out steelmaking coal mines. Meantime, Glencore has made Investment Canada Act commitments to conserve or rehabilitate at least three hectares for every one hectare affected by its mining activities. But a plan for this hasn't been made public. Another concern for Wildsight is the inadequate bonding that B.C. requires of EVR. There have been recent increases to the bonding amount but according to an independent report from last year, there remains a significant shortfall of billions of dollars of environmental liability that would fall to the public when these mines close. The EAO said in an emailed statement that if the project advances to an environmental assessment, the office will examine all potential impacts, including water quality. B.C.'s coal industry has an economic output of more than $2.7 billion, with a labour income of $785 million, according to the B.C. Mining Association. ticrawford@ With files from The Canadian Press
CBC
17-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
B.C. mining company cuts 140 positions due to 'challenging market conditions'
A B.C. mining company has announced significant layoffs, saying they are the result of global economic uncertainty and tariffs. Glencore-owned Elk Valley Resources (EVR), which operates four steelmaking coal mines in B.C.'s southeast along the Alberta border, said it is cutting 140 staff jobs. In an emailed statement from company communications manager Chris Stannell, Elk Valley blamed "challenging market conditions" for the job cuts. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on steel imports to the U.S. to 50 per cent, while industry leaders continue to raise concerns about alleged " steel dumping" — the selling of steel into the Canadian market at ultra-low prices. "EVR is working to improve efficiency and reduce costs across our business to ensure our company is globally competitive," Stannell said. He said "most" of the employees in the cut jobs were reallocated into other vacant positions within the company, but not all. Workers who were not placed into another position are receiving support, he said. The company's website said it employs more than 5,000 people.
