| Summary: | The concept of risk incorporates two predictive aspects: how frequently might an event be
expected to occur and what might be the attendant consequences if it should? Environmental
Risk Assessment (ERA) is gaining increasing acceptance as a valuable and systematic method for
addressing these questions, as regards matters environmental, and has evolved in response to
several compelling issues. Among these are the need to respond to the stringent regulatory
framework governing project development and to distill, from the multitude of concerns
associated with mine development, the key environmental risks requiring particular consideration.
It is the latter function of ERA that is viewed as especially beneficial by both mining companies
and government regulators alike. By identifying the elements of project design that pose key
risks, due to various uncertainties, recommendations can be made to manage and reduce them as
the project is developed, operated and, ultimately, abandoned.
This paper outlines the results of a Qualitative Risk Assessment completed on the Windy Craggy
Project proposed for development in northwestern British Columbia. Special attention is afforded
to post-closure reclamation considerations.
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