Mount Polley Mine Reclamation Tour for Teachers
Date and time
Location
Mount Polley Mine
British Columbia V0L 1N0 CanadaDescription
As part of the September Pro D day for SD 27 teachers, MineralsEd is partnering with Imperial Metals to present a reclamation tour of the Mount Polley Mine, an open pit copper-gold mine near Williams Lake. The Mount Polley deposit was first discovered in the late 1960s and was opened as a mine by Imperial Metals in 1997. In 2017 the mine produced roughly 19,000,000 pounds of copper and 48,000 ounces of gold while employing roughly 300 people. The mine is now under care and maintenance.
In August 2014 the tailings dam at Mount Polley failed releasing 17 million cubic meters of water and 8 million cubic meters of tailings/materials into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake. Extensive remediation work in the areas affected by the 2014 breach have been achieved during the past five years. Most of the remediation work has been done by local employees and contractors, as well as, the mine’s First Nation partners. For a preview of the work that has been completed at Mount Polley please visit the photo gallery here.
The visit will include an overview presentation on the Mount Polley Mine operation. The tour will include four stops: 1) Top of reach 2 of Hazeltine Creek to view the creek remediation and new fish habitat. 2) Water treament plant (WTP) and influent pond. 3) WTP in operation. Samples of influent and effluent were collected in glass jars for tour participants to observe the clarity of the water. 4) Springer pit dredging operation.
Schedule
Depart: 8:30 am at Lake City Secondary School, Columneetza Campus (1045 Western Ave, Williams Lake) 8:40 am at 150 mile elementary Arrive back at Columneetza: 3:30 pm
Transportation: Bus transportation from the school and around the mine site will be provided.
Lunch: Please bring your own lunch, snacks and water bottle to stay hydrated during the walking parts of the tour.
Attire: Participants should wear comfortable clothing and sturdy footwear. Be prepared for wet, cool and muddy conditions in the case of rain. Mount Polley will provide the required safety equipment during the tour. Don’t forget to bring your camera!
Deadline: Noon Sept. 20 2019
Note: The number of confirmed participants by Sept 20th will determine if this mine tour will go ahead.
Organized by
MineralsEd is an educational organization operating in British Columbia that is dedicated to encouraging and supporting Earth science, mineral resources and mining education in school.
Our main roles are to support teachers in their development of classroom materials related to minerals, mining and geoscience, and to deliver workshops, field trips and other mineral-relevant learning opportunities for teachers and students.
Our goals are to foster a well-informed public through school education based on accurate and balanced minerals information, and to stimulate young peoples’ interest in minerals industry careers.