Redfern ditches Atlin-Tulsequah road plan

Vancouver-based Redfern Resources has given up on plans to build a controversial 160-kilometre road through the northern B.C. wilderness to service its Tulsequahmine on the Taku River.

Rather than building a road from Atlin south to Tulsequah, company president Terry Chandler told CBC News, they've decided it would becheaper and easier to use a specially designed river barge and tugboat to supply the mine and transport the ore.

Thenew transportation proposal is part of the company's feasibility study for the zinc-copper-silver-gold mine, released Monday.

Using an air-cushioned barge would save the company about $45 million,Chandler said.

"It'll mean that the project will be quite robust, potentially able to provide benefits to the economy of the region for a longer time frame and at a higher level," he said.

As for the salmon in the river, Chandler said he does not think the barge system would have any negative effect.

He expects the new transportation plan will take about six months to go through any necessary environmental reviews.

The controversial road had been granted environmental permits but the Taku River Tlingits, based in Atlin, and environmental groups continued to oppose the road.

Chandler hopes to start construction at the mine site this summer and put itinto production in late 2008.