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Teck suspends HVC ops due to fire risk, while Trail resumes

16th August 2021

By: Mariaan Webb

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

     

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Diversified miner Teck Resources has suspended operations at its Highland Valley Copper (HVC) in south-central British Columbia, in response to wildfire activity in the area.

The company said on Saturday that it had evacuated its staff and that the fire did not pose a risk to infrastructure at HVC.

HVC is located about 17 km west of Logan Lake. The operation produces copper and molybdenum concentrates and its guidance for this year is to produce 128 000 t to 133 000 t.

The suspension of operations at HVC came a day after the miner announced that it had restarted the oxygen plant at its Trail metallurgical facility after air quality, affected by smoke from wildfires in south-western British Columbia, improved.

Teck shut down the oxygen plant at Trail on August 4, owing to poor ambient air quality. As a result, lead smelting operations had been idled, while lead refning operated normally and zinc refining operations were running at 70% of normal rates.

The miner said on Friday that operations at the Trail metallurgical facility were ramping back up to full capacity. However, while production resumed, Teck cautioned that there remained a risk of further smoke from wildfires and additional outages of the oxygen plant as long as the fire season continued.

The company noted that its guidance would be updated if necessary, after fire risks subsided.

“Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the wildfires in different parts of British Columbia,” said president and CEO Don Lindsay.

“This is an extremely challenging time for many British Columbians and Teck will continue working with our local partners to ensure we are offering all the support we can at this time.”

Teck has donated C$100 000 to the Canadian Red Cross and C$50 000 to the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) in support of emergency efforts in response to the wildfires in the province.

A further C$25 000 would go to match donations made by Teck employees.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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