Summary
Tailings and waste rock from many of British Columbia’s earlier mining operations may host economic concentrations of critical minerals and metals. This project would assess the physical, mineralogical and geochemical properties of select historic mine tailings and waste rock across the province, providing new data which can support updated interpretations of the resource and improve their environmental and social legacies. The project could conduct laboratory- and field-scale studies, compile historical data, foster collaboration and expertise, engage the broader minerals industry, and attract interest and support from academia, communities, Indigenous groups, governments and industry.