Feds reject billion dollar mine

Photo: Trevor Rockliffe

The Prosperity mine site included Fish Lake, pictured here. The first proposal included draining the lake.

A proposed billion-dollar, gold-copper mine in British Columbia's Interior has been rejected by the federal government.

Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq says in a release that the New Prosperity mine would likely cause significant adverse environmental effects that can't be mitigated, so the project can't proceed.

The announcement follows a similar finding in November 2013 by the Canadian Environmental Agency, which ruled the mine would have significant environmental effects on water quality, fish and fish habitat in a lake significant to First Nations.

The federal ministry also rejected the project in 2010 because Taseko Mines Ltd. planned to drain a lake for a tailings pond.

The mine was to be built 125 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, at the tenth largest undeveloped gold-copper deposit in the world.

Aglukkaq says the government invites the company to submit another proposal that meets its concerns.