Quinsam Coal Corporation (QCC) is notifying the public of its environmental activities under provisions of Amended Effluent Permit PE:7008 of the Environmental Management Act (EMA). This permit authorizes QCC to discharge effluent from the mine into Middle Quinsam Lake Subbasin. QCC has been in care and maintenance since May 29, 2019, with ongoing compliance overseen by MNP Ltd., (formally The Bowra Group Inc) in its capacity as Receiver and Manager of QCC since September 20, 2019.
The 2022-2023 Annual Water Quality Monitoring Report (AWQMR) is now available for review online at http://www.quinsamcoalenvironmentalreports.com/report/2022-2023-annrpt/
The AWQMR is a technical report summarizing and reviewing water quality and quantity monitoring results from authorized discharge locations on the mine site and various locations within Middle Quinsam Lake subbasin including the Quinsam and Iron River watershed. Results of the monitoring program indicated compliance with applicable conditions of PE:7008 for authorized locations and Receiving environment locations generally meets or is below Provincial Water Quality Guidelines for Aquatic Life (WQG) and Water Quality Objectives for Middle Quinsam Lake Subbasin (WQO). Receiving environment sites include Quinsam and Iron Rivers, as well as nearby lakes (No Name, Long, Middle Quinsam and Lower Quinsam Lakes).
QCC is committed to compliance with the stipulations within the Effluent Permit 7008 and transparency between Regulatory Agencies, First Nations, and Stakeholders. An Environmental Technical Review Committee (ETRC) meeting is held annually between November and January with Regulatory and Stakeholder groups to review the findings of the AWQMR. Members of the ETRC are continually informed of any operational changes. Additionally, Stakeholders and the Public are invited to participate in the annual ETRC meeting. For details or to join the e-mailing list, contact the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy at ENV@gov.bc.ca.
Public websites where reports are posted include the following: Quinsam Coal’s environmental reporting data site:
http://www.quinsamcoalenvironmentalreports.com
B.C. Mine Information website: https://mines.nrs.gov.bc.ca/p/quinsam/overview. Please note the BC mines website is not always current.