APPLICATION NO. 428605
Application for a Permit Amendment Under the Provisions of the Environmental Management Act
and Mines Act.
Conuma Mining Services Limited has submitted a joint permit amendment application to the
Director of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks and the Chief Permitting
Officer of the British Columbia Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals (MCM; formerly Energy,
Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation) on September 12, 2023, to restart metallurgical coal ore
processing operations at Quintette Mine. The amendment application is proposing amendments
to Environmental Management Act (EMA) Permit PE-6739, issued October 14, 1983, last amended
February 22, 2023, which authorizes the discharge of effluent from Quintette Mine, as well as
amendments to Mines Act Permit C-156 which authorizes the mine activities within the mine site
area at the Quintette Mine.
Mines Act Permit C-156 includes two distinct areas: Quintette Mine Legacy (Legacy) and Restart.
The Legacy area includes Shikano, Deputy, Mesa, Wolverine and Sheriff pits whereas the Restart
includes continued mining of Windy Pit, including Little Windy and Big Windy pit phases, as
well as the development of the Window Pit. Conuma will be advancing the existing Coarse Coal
Rejects (CCR) stockpile. Waste rock material will be stored in the existing Little Windy Spoil; the
Little Windy and Big Windy in-pit spoils; Window Spoil; and Window In-Pit Spoil. Coal will be
processed in the existing Coal Processing Plant (CPP) and railed to port.
The land upon which the facility is situated, and the discharges occur, is within the Quintette Mine
Permitted Mine Area (PMA) as authorized under Mines Act Permit C-156.The Quintette Mine is
located at 23097 Murray Forest Service Road / Tumbler Ridge / BC / V0C 2W0, within the District
of Tumbler Ridge and Murray River Watershed. Access to Restart is via the existing Kinuseo Falls
Road.
Conuma intends to commence Operation of the Quintette Mine Restart area (the Restart) in Q2 2025 to sustain operations in Northeast British Columbia (NEBC). The Restart area is approximately 1880 hectares and encompasses the eastern side of the Quintette Mine which includes all major mine infrastructure. The Restart footprint has been reduced from the 2013 mine plan by approximately 177 hectares.
The Quintette Mine Restart Amendment Application Package (the Package) was developed
in accordance with the Application Instruction Document (AID) issued to Conuma on August
23, 2023, and the letter issued by MCM on January 19, 2018, regarding Quintette – Extension for
Submission of Mine Plan and Reclamation Program. The Package applies to Restart and not to
Legacy.
The Package included the following key information for review:
- Application Document
- Concordance Table aligned with AID Requirements
- Permit Compliance Assessment
- Restart Plan / Mine Plan
- Updated Environmental Management System and Environmental Management Plans
- Mine Water Balance Update
- Water Quality Predictions Update, (per Mines Act Permit C-156 Condition D.4.(d)), and
- Updated Site-wide Reclamation and Closure Plan
The updated (2023) mine plan achieves the following: - minimizes disturbance,
- incorporates additional water quality mitigation measures,
- increases progressive reclamation and,
- optimizes coal quality.
Specific updates to the mine plan include:
Water Management - Addition of B5 Pond to receive Coarse Coal Rejects Storage Facility runoff and seepage.
- B5 Pond will flow into M11/M15 Diversion Channel and discharge through the existing
permitted point of discharge. - B3.1 and B3.2 Ponds will no longer require construction and references will be removed
from permits. - B3 Pond will be added to replace B3.1 and B3.2 Ponds, pumped to Big Windy Pit Lake
and directed to Little Windy Spoil water management and through B1 Pond, or directly to
Little Windy Spoil water management and through B1 Pond. Both options discharge via
M11/M15 Diversion Channel. - Coal Processing Plant process water will be sourced from the Flooded Shikano Pit and
Shikano North Tailings Facility; make-up water may be sourced from the Murray River
from the currently licenced diversion point.
Mining
Windy Pit
- Change to bench height and spacing based on recommendations provided by Qualified
Professional (QP). No increase to depth. Minor adjustment at pit rim due to updated
geotechnical analysis completed by QP. Changes do not increase approved waste rock
volumes.
Window Pit - Change to bench height and spacing based on QP recommendations. No increase to
depth. Minor adjustment at pit rim due to updated geotechnical analysis. Re-sequenced
the mining schedule to mine from the southeast to northwest. Changes do not increase
approved waste rock volumes.
Little Windy Spoil - No change to overall footprint. Final spoil height increased. Revised face slope to include drainage benches and decrease overall slope angle. Added designed cover of overburden to final spoil configuration.
Little Windy In-Pit Spoil
- Reduced footprint and capacity. Revised face slope to include drainage benches
and reduce overall slope angle. Window Pit waste rock spoil no longer reports to the
Little Windy In-Pit Spoil. Added designed cover of overburden to final exposed spoil
configuration.
Big Windy In-Pit Spoil - Reduction to overall footprint. Decreased volume of waste reporting here. Window Pit
waste rock spoil no longer reporting to Big Windy In-Pit Spoil. Added designed cover of
overburden to final exposed spoil configuration.
Historic Big Windy Spoil - Reduction to overall footprint. No further advancement to the existing historic Big Windy
Spoil as currently approved.
Window In-Pit Spoil - Adjusted in-pit spoil footprint from northwest to southeast within the Window Pit
footprint. Added designed cover of overburden to final exposed spoil configuration.
Initial activities will include completion of the construction of overland conveyor and
water-management structures.
A copy of the permit application, including supporting documentation, is available electronically upon request. Any person who may be adversely affected by the proposed amendment and wishes to
provide relevant information may, within 30 days after the last date of posting, publishing, service or display, send written comments via email to the applicant (contact details below), with a copy to
Erin Niemi, Senior Project Lead, Major Mines Office, MCM, at Erin.Niemi@gov.bc.ca.
The identity of any respondents and the contents of anything submitted in relation to this application will become part of the public record.
Dated this 12th day of May, 2025.
Contact person: Sam Payment
Director, Regulatory and Permitting
Conuma Resources Limited
Email address: spayment@conumacoal.com
