Boliden Westmin has been charged under British Columbia’s mines safety code following an accident at its Myra Falls underground operation in October 1998 in which a miner was killed.
Richard Nadeau was crushed when backfill, consisting of sand and cement, gave way as he used a long-hole drill to prepare a section of the production stope for mining. Boliden Westmin, a subsidiary of Sweden-based Boliden, has been charged with failing to support the base of an unstable backfilled stope and failing to limit access to the area.
The union representing mine workers has called for an inquest, though that won’t be decided until after the outcome of the court case.
The operation was closed in November 1998 following recommendations of a joint committee of management and labour leaders to rehabilitate underground workings at a cost of US$6.6 million. Mining has since resumed.
Myra Falls, near Campbell River in southwestern British Columbia, produces zinc and copper concentrate, as well as byproduct gold and silver.
In an Ontario courtroom, Placer Dome was fined $325,000 for having violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act in February 1998. Joseph Cote was killed at the Detour Lake underground gold mine after being hit by a load-haul-dump machine.
The company pleaded guilty to failing to establish procedures to govern movement of a load-haul-dump machine.
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