B.C. approves underground block-cave mining expansion at Red Chris Mine

The British Columbia government has approved an amended environmental assessment certificate allowing underground block-cave mining at the Red Chris Mine in northwestern B.C., according to a decision announced following a review by the Environmental Assessment Office.

The Red Chris Mine currently operates as an open-pit copper and gold mine. The amended certificate permits the project to transition to block-caving, an underground mining method that extracts ore from beneath the surface.

The approval follows consultation with the Tahltan Central Government, which provided its consent for the amendment. According to the province, the decision was based on an Environmental Assessment Office review of the proposed changes to the project.

The mine drew public attention in July 2025 when three workers became trapped more than 500 metres underground after two separate collapses. The workers were conducting specialized exploratory drilling related to the planned transition to block-cave mining. They remained safe in a refuge station and were rescued more than two days later.

As part of the approval, the province has attached 27 legally binding conditions to the environmental assessment certificate. Those conditions include requirements for monitoring water quality, air quality and ground stability during mine development and operations.