The Tenas Project will use a ‘small mine’ approach, which would see annual production of between approximately 240,000 to 900,000 metric tonnes over an estimated 40-year period. The metallurgical or steelmaking coal would be shipped on the CN rail line to Prince Rupert’s Ridley Terminal for export to steel mills.
HEALTH AND SAFETYSafety is a core value of our company. We believe that all activities can be completed with zero harm to personnel and that all incidents and injuries are preventable. We will provide resources to manage health and safety and expect all employees and contractors to share in the responsibility.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLEWe acknowledge and respect the unceded rights, title, interests, culture and aspirations of the Wet’suwet’en to 22,000 square km of traditional territory. In April 2016, we signed a Communications and Engagement Agreement as an initial, formal step in our commitment to the Wet’suwet’en.
ENVIRONMENTWe will ensure that our activities are responsible and protective of the environment. Our design and operational activities adhere to the mitigation hierarchy to avoid and minimize impacts, restore on-site and offset, where necessary.
COMMUNITYIntegrity is fundamental to how we operate. We will engage with the community and stakeholders with the aim of ensuring the socio-economic priorities and goals are understood and addressed.
Please click on the image to view our Project Summary PDF document.
Please click on the image to view Tenas Project Postcard document.
Telkwa Coal Limited recently hosted its second Community Open House on November 28, 2018 where members of the community received Project updates and had the opportunity to engage with our technical experts on a variety of Project-specific topics.
The Telkwa Coal team would like to thank all those who took the time to attend the meeting. We had many great discussions and welcome all of the community feedback we received.
The Open House information boards are available below. The information boards provide an overview of the project, as well as updates on the various baseline and feasibility studies currently underway.
Please click on the image to view our Project Summary PDF document.
As we continue to prepare our full project description and regulatory review application for consideration and community input next year, we look forward to sharing more with Bulkley-Nechako residents.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop in to our community office in Telkwa or contact us at info@allegiancecoal.com.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS by Local Community
Thank you for your interest in Telkwa Coal and the Tenas Project.
We are currently completing our baseline and feasibility work and expect to enter the formal BC Environmental Assessment pre-application process this fall. In addition to the formal regulatory public consultation, Telkwa Coal will continue to host Open Houses to update the community on the project and address questions.
It is anticipated that our regulatory application will be submitted in the Fall of 2019. The review process will take about one year before a government decision is reached.
Below are answers to some of the top questions we heard from the community. Check back regularly for new updates.
Project Overview
- 1. How much coal are you looking to mine and for how long?
Our Project Description is based on production of 750,000 tonnes of steelmaking coal annually at only the Tenas deposit. This means a mine life of approximately 25 years including construction, operations and reclamation phases of the project. This approach allows for optimal operating levels and importantly, ensures the operation is sustainable for the long term.
- 2. How will the coal be transported?
A dedicated haul road will be constructed to allow purpose-built b-train trucks to transport coal to the rail loadout. The loadout would include a 2.5 km rail loop. The photo below shows an example of the typical truck. The trucks will be equipped with an automatic tarping system to reduce the potential for dust in transit. Trucks will be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. On average, it is estimated that two trucks will depart and return to the mine site each hour.
Photo of B Train truck
- 3. What infrastructure will you have on site and what equipment will be used?
We will have a coal processing plant, water management infrastructure (ditches and settling ponds), an explosives facility, as well as administration and maintenance buildings. The mine will use standard surface mine equipment used at other operations, including haul trucks, backhoes, dozers, graders and drills.
Jobs & Local Spending
- 4. What investments are you making in the local community?
We have made a long-term commitment to the region. Our project is being operated from our main office in Telkwa. As part of our commitment, we are hiring locally and investing in local community initiatives, including sponsorship and in-kind contributions. Since 2017, we have already contributed more than $2 million into the local economy through exploration, socio-cultural and environmental baseline activities.
- 5. How many people do you expect to hire?
We are already working with more than 50 local experts from the Bulkley Nechako region for our baseline environmental, archaeology, cultural and exploration programs and expect to have 90 to 110 full-time employees once fully operational. The employment numbers will be provided in the regulatory application in 2019.
- 6. Where will employees come from for the project?
We plan to hire locally, as much as possible, to create a lasting benefit for the local community. In fact, there will be no camp onsite, even during construction.
- 7. What benefits does the proponent anticipate other than new jobs? What other community benefits does the proponent anticipate they will provide?
We anticipate several service and contracting opportunities for the local region to supply and service the mine. The mine will be a community presence and, as we have already done, we will continue to sponsor and support local groups and events, to enhance the quality of life in the region. The mine will also provide skills training opportunities.
- 8. What about other existing industries and economic activities (i.e., forestry, traplines, outfitters, etc.)?
Our objective is to create lasting benefits for the region. We are currently assessing where the mine overlaps with other activities and will look to minimize and/or mitigate the potential effects on other land uses as we develop this project.
Water
- 9. How much water do you expect to use?
We are currently preparing a mine plan that will determine the amount of water required for processing. As the plan is still in development, details on the total amount of water required for operations are not known.
- 10. Where will you get the water from?
Precipitation from rain and snow on the minesite will be collected and used to supply the process activities. This water will be stored in sediment treatment (settling) ponds. It may be necessary to supplement this water with groundwater wells. Water for dust suppression at the rail loadout is expected to be taken from the stormwater sediment pond that is planned near to the facilities. If required, potable water requirements will be supplemented from providers in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.
- 11. Will any aquifers be impacted, and what about groundwater?
At this time, any groundwater use in the immediate vicinity of the mine is not expected to have any measurable effect on private wells or the Telkwa River. As part of the environmental baseline studies, and as required for permitting, detailed assessments of both surface and groundwater quality and quantity are underway. Once the effects assessments are complete in late 2019, the results will be shared with stakeholders.
- 12. How will you manage water leaving the mine site?
Currently, the plan is for any water that comes into contact with the project be directed to settling ponds prior to discharge to either the Telkwa River or the Bulkley River via a pipeline. Discharge would likely take place only during open water season.
- 13. What is your acid rock drainage (ARD) plan?
We understand the importance of having a comprehensive ARD plan in our overall mine design and plan. We are evaluating the best approach; it will likely include some or all of the following elements – blending of rock, soil covers, water covers and possibly water treatment.
- 14. What is your selenium plan?
To date, our baseline water quality studies have indicated that selenium concentrations are below government environmental quality guidelines and geochemical testing of drill core samples indicates that solid-phase selenium concentrations are low. However, we are continuing with our studies to further assess selenium concentrations during operations and should any mitigation be required, the necessary measures and treatment systems will be included in our project plan for regulatory review and consideration.
Air
- 15. What is your plan to manage air quality and coal dust?
We will have a comprehensive management plan in place to address air quality. Our plan includes a number of measures.
At the mine site:
- Water trucks and toppers like latex coatings will be used on traffic areas and stockpiles respectively to manage dust levels.
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The heights of the stockpiles will be limited
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Drop heights will be minimized for loading activities.
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Overburden piles will be revegetated.
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Vehicle speed will be managed to minimize dust generation.
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Windbreaks will be established, as needed.
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Monitoring data will be reviewed regularly to refine ongoing mitigation measures.
Along the trucking route:
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Coal will be transported in covered truck bodies hauled by tractor trailers.
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Vehicle speed will be managed to minimize dust generation.
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Road dust suppression techniques such as road binding agents and water trucks will be used, as needed.
At the rail loadout facility:
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Latex coating will be used for the stockpiles, if required.
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Water trucks or sprayers will be used for the loading area to manage dust levels as needed.
- All trains will be sprayed with a latex coating, a practice common to other mines.
Noise
- 16. How are you planning to manage noise at the mine site?
Our preliminary work has shown that the mine will not generate measurable or discernible persistent noise levels in the town of Telkwa. We are continuing with baseline noise assessments in the area and will be conducting an assessment to predict noise levels at nearby receptors. The findings, including any mitigation measures and contingency planning procedures, will be shared once our work is complete.
- 17. How much blasting is anticipated on a daily/weekly basis?
There will generally be between two and four blasts a week during daylight hours only and likely in the late afternoon. Each blast would last less than 60 seconds.
Wildlife
- 18. How are you integrating the caribou recovery program into your plans?
We have been actively working with the government to support the caribou recovery program and will provide for a range of potential mitigation measures to limit any impacts to caribou, including potentially monitoring and managing recreational access. We are currently collecting baseline information and reviewing existing information on habitats and populations to identify potential effects. The assessment will be shared with stakeholders once this is completed. Reclamation plans will include measures to restore and enhance quality and quantity of caribou habitat and minimize habitat values for alternate prey and predators in important caribou areas.
- 19. What about the moose population?
We are in the process of collecting new baseline information and reviewing existing information on moose habitats and populations in the project area. Our assessment to date shows that the majority of the project is outside of delineated moose winter habitat. Our wildlife management plan will present the results of the assessment as well as mitigation measures to avoid and minimize potential impacts to moose.
Recreation & Tourism
