B.C. approves block-caving for Red Chris Mine, site where three workers were trapped

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government has approved an amended environment assessment certificate for block-caving at the Red Chris Mine, the same site where three workers were trapped last July.

The copper and gold mine in northwestern B.C. is already operating as an open pit mine, but the amended environmental assessment will allow for block-caving, an underground mining method.

The workers were more than 500 metres down when they were trapped by two collapses, although they remained safe in a refuge station until they were rescued more than two days later.

The workers were performing specialized exploratory drilling for the mine’s transition to the block-cave mining method when they were trapped.