Murray River Project
Project Overview and Location
HD Mining International Ltd. (HD Mining) is the owner and proponent of the Murray River Coal Project (Project), a proposed underground metallurgical coal mine in northeast British Columbia (BC).
The Project is in the Peace River Regional District, centred at 54°56'59"-55°09'59" N, 121°54'03"-121°18'07" E. The Project is accessed from Highway 52 (Heritage Highway), at kilometre (KM) 10.2 of the Kinuseo Falls Road (Murray River Forest Service Road).
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The Project will produce approximately 6 million tonnes of metallurgical coal per year over 31 years. A 5-year construction phase is currently planned, and the mine will operate for 25 years. The decommissioning phase includes an approximately 3-year closure phase and 6-year post closure monitoring program.
The Project received the following:
Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) #M15-03
The Project received Environmental Assessment Certificate #M15-03 (EAC #M15-03) on October 1, 2015 under the 2002 Environmental Assessment Act. The EAC #M15-03 was amended on March 23, 2018, and the expiry date was extended to October 1, 2025 on July 14, 2020.
Decision Statement (DS) from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA)
The project received an Environmental Assessment Decision Statement (DS) on December 13, 2017 under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, approving the Project with conditions.
Major Permits
The Project also holds the following major permits: Mines Act Permit C-244; Coal Lease (66232426); Environmental Management Act Permit 106666.
It is anticipated that the mine will produce 6 million tonnes of metallurgical coal per year over 25 years of operation.
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Coal will be mined using longwall mining, a form of underground coal mining where coal is mined in large panels (typically 1 to 3 km long and 200 to 400 m wide). Longwall mining is designed to maximize extraction rates while maintaining worker safety. While not currently used in Canada, this method has been used for many years at mines around the world.