Blackwater goldB.C.'s Blackwater gold and silver mine gets environmental approval The Canadian Press Gold bars sit in a vault at the Perth Mint Refinery, operated by Gold Corp., in Perth, Australia, on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. Gold bars sit in a vault at the Perth Mint Refinery, operated by Gold Corp., in Perth, Australia, on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018., Bloomberg VICTORIA - An environmental assessment certificate has been granted for the Blackwater gold mine southwest of Vanderhoof, B.C. A joint news release from the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Mines says the decision came after considering the report from the Environmental Assessment Office and submissions from Indigenous Nations. The proposed New Gold Inc. open-pit gold and silver mine would have a 44-square kilometre footprint and is expected to extract about 60,000 tonnes of ore per day during the mine's estimated 17-year operational life. The statement says the ministers are confident that the Blackwater mine will be built, operated and closed in a way that ensures no significant adverse effects are likely to occur. The certificate sets out 43 conditions for New Gold to meet, including an air and dust management plan, a caribou mitigation and monitoring plan and numerous conditions related to impacts on water. New Gold estimates the $1.29-billion mine will take two years to build and will support almost 400 full-time equivalent jobs a year. Related Gold rally continues, pushing past US$1,400 for first time since 2013