Eskay Creek: Skeena receives environmental assessment certificate in B.C.

British Columbia issued an environmental assessment certificate to Skeena Gold & Silver to restart the Eskay Creek mine, and the certificate embeds Tahltan Nation consent under a Section 7 agreement.

British Columbia has issued an environmental assessment certificate to Skeena Gold & Silver to restart mining at the former Eskay Creek site in Tahltan territory. The assessment was reviewed by Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change and approved under the federal Impact Assessment Act. The Environmental Assessment Office carried out a collaborative process with the Tahltan Central Government that was guided by a Section 7 consent agreement. The certificate requires that the project be substantially started by 2036. Key facts: - The Environmental Assessment Process began in August 2024 and included more than 60 engagement sessions within local communities and over 500 meetings with the Tahltan Central Government. - The Tahltan Nation's consent is embedded in the certificate under a Section 7 agreement signed in 2022 between the Government of British Columbia and the Tahltan Central Government. - Ministers applied 38 legally binding conditions, including conditions co-developed with the Tahltan Central Government and provisions for ongoing Tahltan roles in monitoring compliance. - The 2023 feasibility study cited an estimated 12-year mine life with average production of about 320,000 ounces of gold-equivalent per year and 455,000 ounces per year in the first five years. - The project is expected to generate about 1,000 jobs at peak construction and more than 770 jobs during peak operations, with projected capital expenditure of $713 million and about $1.2 billion in provincial revenues. - The Environmental Assessment Office consulted the Nisga'a Lisims government, Gitanyow Nation, Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation, Alaska Tribes and Métis Nation of B.C.; the Nisga'a Lisims government provided letters of support. Summary: The certificate finalizes a multi-jurisdictional review and embeds a consent-based agreement with the Tahltan Central Government, including legally binding conditions and provisions for Tahltan participation in ongoing monitoring. The project carries projected employment and revenue figures and must be substantially started by 2036 to meet the terms of the environmental assessment certificate.