News Release
Canada's Environment Minister establishes federal panel to review proposed Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine project

OTTAWA - January 19, 2009 - Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced today that the Prosperity Gold-Copper Mine project in British Columbia will undergo an environmental assessment by a federal review panel. The Minister's decision follows a request from the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

"I am confident that the review panel will fully consider the environmental issues related to the proposed project and make sound recommendations to the federal government," said Minister Prentice. "A review panel will provide opportunities for First Nations and the public to participate in the assessment of the project."

The Minister established the panel and has appointed Robert Connelly as panel chair along with Nalaine Morin and Bill Klassen as panel members. Biographical information on the chair and the members is available in the accompanying backgrounder.

The federal environmental assessment process will be coordinated to the extent possible with the provincial environmental assessment process to minimize duplication and increase efficiency and effectiveness.

The federal Terms of Reference to establish the review panel and the federal-provincial Guidelines for the preparation of the environmental impact statement are being issued. The documents were finalized following recent consultations with First Nations and the public.

The federal Terms of Reference provide information on the process for conducting the review as well as further details on the scope of the environmental assessment. Under the Terms of Reference, the federal panel will:

• conduct an examination of the environmental effects of the proposed project and the significance of those effects;
• consider measures that are technically and economically feasible to mitigate any adverse environmental effects and the need for, and the requirements of, any follow-up program with respect to the project; and
• consider comments from the public and First Nations that are received during the review.

The federal-provincial Guidelines provide direction to the proponent and identify the information that will be required in the statement of the anticipated effects of the project on the environment.

The Agency has made available funding to assist First Nations and the public to participate in the environmental assessment process. The participant funding recipients will be announced at a later date.

To obtain more information on this project, including the Guidelines and the panel Terms of Reference, consult the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry, reference number 09-05-44811.

Taseko Mines Ltd. proposes the development of a high volume open pit gold-copper mine to be located 125 km southwest of Williams Lake, BC. In addition to the mine and associated tailings and waste rock areas, the project includes an onsite mill, an approximately 125 km long power transmission line corridor and an access road.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.

Media may contact:

Lucille Jamault
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 613-957-0434