Courtesy of Imperial Metals:
The tailings dam breach that caused a water and tailings discharge at Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley mine early Monday morning has stabilized.
Our first priority is the health and safety of our employees and neighbours, and we are relieved no loss of life or injury have been reported. We are deeply concerned and are working to mitigate immediate effects and understand the cause.
Exact quantities of water and tailings discharged have yet to be determined. The tailings are alkaline with an average ph of 8.5 and are not acid generating.
The cause of the breach is unknown at this time. The dam is an independently engineered structure that operated within design limits and specifications. Monitoring instruments and onsite personnel had no indication of an impending breach. Mount Polley mine has been placed on care and maintenance, and business interruption and physical damage insurers have been notified. While the damaged area is relatively small compared to the overall size of the dam, it is not known at this time how long it will take to restore operations.
We are working closely with provincial ministries, local agencies, and emergency response officials. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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