A Rossland group fighting a proposed magnesium mine southwest of the city says they’re trying to ensure the project continues to be scrutinized while they wait for a pair of court challenges to be heard.
Although West High Yield’s has received its mining permit, Melanie Mercier of the Save Record Ridge Action Committee says other permits still need to be processed from different government ministries for things like water use, waste and effluent discharges, trail relocation, and road access.
Mercier says each permit needs to satisfy environmental and public-interest requirements, and her group has filed detailed legal submissions to the ministries responsible explaining why they feel the approvals should not be granted.
“We strongly believe that the information that’s been provided is insufficient to go ahead in approving these permits,” Mercier says. “We trust that the government will make the right decisions on not approving these remaining permits.”
The committee says it has started meeting with several ministries and describes its early discussions as constructive. It says it is also talking to the Washington State Department of Ecology about potential cross-border water impacts.
The committee is further seeking a judicial review of the Environmental Assessment Office’s decision not to require a full-blown environmental review of the project. No date has been set for their application to be heard.
They’re also planning to seek a judicial review of the approval of the mining permit, arguing that it was issued without enough data on things like asbestos, air quality, and water contamination. They say evidence showing the project will be overbuilt was ignored and that tourism impacts weren’t addressed.
Mercier says they hope the courts will hear their challenges before the company can start its mine.
“We truly believe it would it would be unlawful for the company to end up with all the permits they require before the judicial reviews are heard,” she says.
The committee says its concerns include the project’s location in an old growth management area, risks to downstream water rights, potential impacts to the Seven Summits Trail, transportation and road-safety issues, and questions about air and water emissions.
West High Yield said this week that it has posted an initial reclamation bond for the project and has “accelerated work across regulatory, environmental, engineering, and capital planning streams,” as its prepares to start construction in the second quarter of 2026.
“We continue to move the Record Ridge project forward in a disciplined and structured manner,” president and CEO Frank Marasco said in a news release.
“Posting the initial reclamation bond and executing the early-stage permit requirements demonstrate our commitment to responsible development and to maintaining strong momentum following the issuance of the Mines Act permit.”
The company said it is working on a vegetation audit covering the mine’s footprint and access corridor and also doing site prep to support final design and construction.
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