Sukunka Coal Mine Project
{{#badges: Navbar-Global Coal Mine Tracker}} The Sukunka Coal Project is located approximately 55 kilometres south of Chetwynd and 40 kilometres west of Tumbler Ridge in northeast British Columbia, Canada.
Contents
Location
The satellite photo below shows the approximate proposed mine site near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
Background
Glencore is proposing to construct and operate an open-pit metallurgical coal mine that would produce 3 million tonnes of hard coking coal per year for export to overseas markets. The mine life of the project is expected to exceed 20 years.[1] Yearly production is expected to increase to 7.5 million tons per year once underground mining commences.[2] The Sukunka Project is a joint venture between Glencore (75%) and JX Nippon (25%).[3]
In 2016, emails from ecosystem biologists Kyle Rezansoff and Kerry Harvey expressed their professional concern that because the coal mining project falls within the habitat of the endangered Quintette caribou herd, the project will threaten the herd. The biologists expressed concern that the Sukunka project will threaten the caribou if it is to be built within less than three kilometres of the caribou habitat on the high elevation winter range. Glencore proposed it be built within 500 metres of this habitat.[4]
In 2018 and 2019, Glencore issued several memos regarding contaminant monitoring, bull trout habitat, caribou buffers, and other topics in response to information requests from the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office.[5] The Project is still in the application review phase with the British Columbia provincial government.
Project Details
- Owner: Glencore
- Parent company:
- Location: Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
- GPS coordinates: 55.1964,-121.569 (approximate)
- Mine status: Proposed
- Start year: 2022
- Mineable reserves: 185 million tons[2]
- Coal type:
- Mine size: 8,056 ha
- Mine type: Surface and underground
- Production: 3 million tons per year
- Additional proposed production:
- Equipment: Open pit mining and Longwall mining
- Number of employees: 250
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ Sukunka Coal Mine Project, Government of Canada website, accessed October 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sukunka Project, Mining Data Solutions, accessed October 2019.
- ↑ About us, Gloencore Sukunka Project website, accessed October 2019.
- ↑ Potential coal mine in B.C. menacing endangered caribou, David McKie, March 29, 2017.
- ↑ Sukunka Coal mine Documents, British Columbia EPIC website, accessed October 2019.
