Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks, has approved an amendment to the Red Chris Porphyry Copper-Gold Mine environmental assessment certificate, authorizing the mine to transition from open-pit mining to underground mining, also called block-caving.
The mine, in operation since 2015, is in Tahltan territory.
The minister made her decision after considering conclusions and recommendations in the Environmental Assessment Office’s (EAO) comprehensive assessment report, the Tahltan Risk Assessment Report, the Tahltan Central Government’s Notice of Decision, and the proposed conditions and requirements for the amended certificate.
The EAO carried out a collaborative assessment process with the Tahltan Central Government (TCG). TCG’s board of directors provided notice of Tahltan consent for the block-cave amendment on May 22, 2026. It is the second assessment conducted under a Section 7 agreement with TCG, demonstrating ongoing collaborative, government-to-government decision-making for major projects, as established in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Environmental Assessment Act.
As Red Chris is an existing operating mine, the proposed expansion requires amendments to the certificate and permits. The EAO collaborated with other provincial permitting agencies and TCG to streamline reviews, share expertise and determine the best-placed regulator to oversee various conditions and mitigation measures. The whole-project approach improved efficiency, reduced duplication and increased clarity for regulators, First Nations and the proponent, Newcrest Red Chris Mining Ltd. All regulatory reviews for the complex amendment for this priority project were completed in two and a half years.
Provincial permits also must be approved for the project to move forward. As a result of collaborative reviews between all regulators, decisions on permits are expected soon.
The minster established 27 legally binding conditions to the amended environmental assessment certificate. They apply on top of existing certificate and permit conditions and proposed new and revised mitigation requirements to be applied in permits, if approved. Twelve conditions were co-developed with TCG to mitigate impacts identified in Tahltan’s risk assessment and provide for an ongoing role for Tahltan in monitoring compliance throughout the life of the project.
Conditions in the amended environmental assessment certificate are designed to work in concert with permitting conditions to provide robust environmental protections across the project lifecycle. These apply to water quality and quantity, hydrogeologic conditions, tailings seepage, air quality, wildlife, traffic, safety, accidents and malfunctions, cumulative impacts, and closure and reclamation. New requirements applied specifically under the amended certificate include:
* monitoring water quality, water quantity, air quality and ground stability
* ensuring groundwater seepage control and mitigation measures are effective
* requiring hydrogeologic field investigations and monitoring related to groundwater connectivity in Kluea Lake, a place of cultural significance for Tahltan Nation
* wildlife health monitoring, and human health monitoring and management planning
* monitoring and managing effects to wildlife and road users from traffic on key highways
* requiring Newcrest participation in and support for provincial or Tahltan-led regional initiatives on cumulative, social and environmental issues
The EAO concluded that, taken together, the proposed new additional requirements to the mine operations and modernized mitigation measures by all regulators will result in reduced environmental impacts from Red Chris mine compared to existing operations.
If permit amendments are also issued, the transition to underground mining is expected to create more than 1,850 construction jobs, continue the existing 1,500 peak-season mine operations jobs into the mid-2040s and generate several billions of dollars in investment.
The EAO consulted Nisǥa’a Lisims Government as a treaty partner, and consulted Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha and Gitanyow Nation.
The EAO assesses every project thoroughly on the specific and individual aspects of that project, including its potential environmental, economic, social, cultural and health effects, and the effects on First Nations and their rights. Once certified, projects are monitored for compliance with all conditions and requirements for the life of the project.
Operations at the mine are expected to continue for approximately 12 additional years with the change to block-caving, if permit approvals are granted. Block-caving is an underground mining method that involves undercutting a large section of ore and allowing it to collapse under its own weight into access tunnels for extraction.