Ivanhoe’s Kipushi zinc mine in the DRC officially reopens
The restart marked exactly a century since the mine first went into production.
Today the Association for Mineral Exploration BC (AME BC) joined the Northwest Power Line Coalition in celebrating the federal environmental approval of the Northwest Transmission Line project. This federal approval supports the decision taken by the BC Environmental Assessment Office to grant BC Hydro an environmental assessment certificate for the proposed $404 million, 344-kilometre transmission line project from the existing Skeena substation south of Terrace to a new substation near Bob Quinn Lake along Highway 37 in northwest British Columbia.
“We thank the federal government for their leadership in approving this line, which represents the start of a new era for the mineral exploration and development sector, and all communities, in northwest British Columbia,” said Gavin C. Dirom, President & CEO of AME BC. “We also again acknowledge the hard work of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and elected officials and staff in federal, provincial and local governments; First Nations; and Northwest Power Line Coalition members for their advocacy and support of the Northwest Transmission Line,” stated Dirom.
The Northwest Transmission Line is a fundamental infrastructure project that will be the gateway to the Golden Triangle. There are over 935 mineral occurrences identified in the region that could benefit from the transmission line, of which 67 have been documented in the resource category. In 2010, the provincial government identified 25 major exploration projects and proposed mine development in the corridor, and a 2008 study identified $15 billion in investment and 10,700 potential jobs resulting from the power line.
“The investment and job creation from this transmission line will support regional economic development as well as provide important tax revenue for health, education, and other important services,” concluded Dirom.
More information is available online at www.highway37.com. The federal announcement is at http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/details-eng.cfm?evaluation=51726.
