Normal operations have resumed at Mount Polley Mining Corp's open-pit copper and gold mine in south-central British Columbia in the aftermath of forest fires in the province that led to a series of evacuation notices, a company official said Tuesday.
The official with Mount Polley's parent -- Vancouver, British Columbia-based Imperial Metals -- who asked not to be identified, said Tuesday in an interview the mine either is back in full production or soon will be.
Mining activities were interrupted starting in mid-July when the province shut major roads that access the mine. British Columbia officials have called 2017 the province's second-worst forest fire season. Typically, the forest fire season extends through August.
Current mining at Mount Polley is focused in the Cariboo pit. The mine's 2017 production target remains 22 million to 24 million pounds of copper and 55,000 to 60,000 ounces of gold, according to the company.
All production is expected to come from open-pit operations, although Mount Polley also has an underground component. Concentrate is trucked to the Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest port.
The mine, which originally started operations in 1997, is located about 30 miles northeast of the city of Williams Lake. Existing plans call for Mount Polley to remain in operation until 2026.
In April, Mount Polley received approval of a long-term water management plan. The mine had been operating under a short-term water management plan that took effect November 30, 2015.
A tailings storage facility breach at Mount Polley resulted in a suspension of production at the mine August 4, 2014. Provincial officials authorized the mine to return to normal operations June 23, 2016.