After thirty days Pacific Booker Minerals Inc. (PBM) has finally responded to the province’s decision to deny the Morrison Mine Project the Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) it would have needed to proceed.
Mining the $6 billion in mineral resources that lay below the ground near Granisle B.C. would have likely begun in 2014 had the certificate been approved. It is estimated that the project would have generated $300 million in tax revenue, created over 1,100 jobs during the three year construction phase and generated over $79 million dollars in household income at the same time.
In an Oct. 31, 2012 statement, PBM chief executive officer Gregory Anderson said that over 16,000 pages of documentation were produced in the environmental application put before the province. The proposal included 32 conditions that the company had agreed to meet as part of Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) approval.
“PBM has adequately and reasonably addressed all the issues raised by government agencies, First Nations and the public,” said Anderson.
It appeared that the province's EAO had agreed. The conclusion of the 205 page Aug. 21, 2012 report was that all environmental, First Nation, and public concerns were, in the language of the report, ‘adequately and reasonably’ dealt with. But on Oct. 1, the province refused to issue an EAC, effectively shutting down the project.
Complete story next week.