Base metals miner Taseko Mines has formally launched the environmental assessment (EA) process for its Yellowhead copper project, following the acceptance of its initial project description (IPD) by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

The approval marks a key regulatory step forward for the Yellowhead project, which is located 150 km north of Kamloops, British Columbia, in the traditional territory of the Simpcw First Nation, part of the Secwépemc Nation.

“The submission of the IPD represents a significant milestone for the Yellowhead project permitting process,” said Taseko president and CEO Stuart McDonald. “We have already begun to engage stakeholders and will ensure that the development of Yellowhead is in line with environmental and social expectations. Recently, Taseko has hosted a number of well attended community meetings and we look forward to continued involvement with project stakeholders and government regulators through the environmental permitting process.”

Taseko said the EA will be “comprehensive, inclusive, and transparent", designed to meet Canada’s rigorous regulatory standards while balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations. The company has been in active discussions with both regulatory bodies to prepare for the IPD submission and says it is committed to extensive public and Indigenous engagement throughout the EA and permitting stages.

The project will also undergo the Simpcw process – an Indigenous-led environmental assessment currently in its early phases. As part of this partnership, Taseko and Simpcw have signed a relationship negotiation agreement, which outlines the path toward a broader relationship agreement that will establish Simpcw’s formal role in oversight and economic participation.

The Yellowhead project is a proposed openpit copper mine that has been designed with a production capacity of 90 000 t/d of ore over a 25-year mine life. The project will use existing road access and an existing site for a rail load-out facility to transport concentrate to Port of Vancouver or other North American markets. A new transmission line will be required to provide electrical power to the project. 

The project will support about 590 direct full-time jobs in operations, along with indirect and induced jobs.