Canada blocks development of major gold-copper mine project in B.C.

The federal government on Tuesday blocked the contromill manufacturers south africaversial Prosperity gold-copper mine project in B.C.'s Chilcotin, citing what it labelled to be "significant" environmental concerns. Announced by federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice, the decision overrules the B.C. government, which had given full approval for the major project to proceed.

"We believe in balancing resource stewardship with economic development," Prentice said in a written statement. "The significant adverse environmental effects of the Prosperity project cannot be justified as it is currently proposed." B.C's Minister of State for Mining Randy Hawes called Ottawa's decision "disappointing," but said he is not yet ready to declare the project dead. "We should go back and take a look and see if there's a way that this can be represented and restructured in a way that could work so that it could gain the approval," Hawes said, adding he had already talked to the company behind the project, Taseko Mines. "I frankly think what they [the federal government] want to see is some changes and some restructuring of the project, if it's possible," he added...