Taseko Mines (TSX:TKO) has begun an application for a federal judicial review of the findings of a review panel report relating to its New Prosperity mine, the company announced December 2.
In the panel report, published October 31, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) stated that the New Prosperity gold-copper project would cause significant damage to the environment if it were built. On November 6, Taseko responded to the publication, saying the panel's findings were based on incorrect information.
Taseko said the panel made an error when calculating seepage rates from a tailings storage facility, neglecting to account for a liner that would be used to curtail seepage.
In its application, Taseko is asking the court for a declaration that certain panel findings are invalid, and that the panel failed to observe proper procedure when conducting the hearings.
"Taseko had no choice but to file this application in order to comply with a 30-day time limit," said Russell Hallbauer, Taseko president and CEO.
"But we remain of the view that the federal government should allow the project to proceed to the next stage of detailed permit-level examination and if so the judicial review would not need to proceed."
Prior to this application, the mining company sent letters to the Minister of Environment and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency on November 8 and 15, respectively, in response to the findings. The letters describe what it said are the panel's errors and request further investigation.
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