Williams Lake mayor wants Mt. Polley mine running again ASAP

Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb says the Mt. Polley Mine's partial re-start is in danger because the province is dragging its feet.

At a press conference, Cobb said that if Imperial Metals isn't allowed a permit to discharge water, local people will be left out of work.

In an interview with Radio West host Rebecca Zandbergen,Cobb says that as of Monday, the water level in the containment pit is currently only six metres below the 1030 metres above sea level, the maximum level allowed by the current permit the mine holds.

Cobb says workers at the mine told him that the tailings pond could be up to its limit in as little as two weeks however, it is still about 20 metres from being full, when water could potentially spill out.

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"They keep delaying it," Cobb said of the Province's efforts to issue a permit for the discharge. "they are under an obligation to consult, and that's the issue that we have. We don't have a problem with consultation, but we have a period of time for everyone to consult, right? They continue to extend the deadline for whatever reason or whoever's asking questions. These processes are shutting down our province."

Cobb says he's not concerned about the environmental impact of discharging water, as according to the company, the water is "pure" rain and snow water and if pollution is detected, it will be filtered on its way to Hazeltine Creek.

"There's absolutely no fear of contamination. Absolutely none," he said.

Cobb says if the permit is not granted soon, at least 266 jobs will be at risk.

The Ministry of Environment, in a statement, said the discharge application has gone through public consultation and is under review by the ministry and other agencies.

They also dispute Cobb's two weeks estimate; they say that under average precipitation conditions, the 1030 metres level would be reached in April 2016.

A final decision on the discharge is expected by the end of November.

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled:Williams Lake mayor wants Mt. Polley mine to get discharge wastewater permit