3 MINERS TRAPPED UNDERGROUND SINCE TUESDAY

3 MINERS TRAPPED UNDERGROUND SINCE TUESDAY IN NORTHWESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA! #miners #redchrismine #MineCollapse #trapped #minerstrapped #mines #mining #miningnews #rescue #RescueUnderway #trappedinmine #RedChrisMineCollapse #emergency #EmergencyResponse #britishcolumbia #northwestbritishcolumbia #northernbc #news #HeadlineNews #Headlines #BreakingNews #canadanews #miningbc #BCMining #NewsAlert

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
OK, so today we're diving into areally intense situation
unfolding deep underground in British Columbia.
Yeah, it's quite something. We're talking about the red
Chris mine. Exactly 3 miners trapped since
July 22nd. They're what, 600 meters down?
Yeah, it's you can really feel the tension around this.
Well, the remarkable thing really is that they are reported

(00:21):
safe. They managed to get into a
Minarc refuge chamber. Right, one of those specialized.
Units, exactly. Think of it like a well, a
reinforced safety room deep underground.
It's got its own air, water, calm systems basically built to
keep people alive for days down there.
It really shows how far mine safety has come doesn't.
It absolutely. It's a testament to those modern

(00:43):
protocols. So our mission here for you
listening is to unpack this hightech rescue that's happening
right now, but also, you know, peel back the layers a bit.
Look at the mines history, right?
Some controversy there, yeah. And the partnerships involve the
Indigenous partnerships and how this all connects to a bigger
story about mining safety in Canada.
OK, so let's start with the immediate problem.

(01:03):
The rescue itself, there's this huge barrier, like a wall of
rock and debris blocking their way out.
We're talking 20, maybe 30 meters thick.
Yeah, substantial. And the rescue teams, they're
facing a massive challenge. They're bringing in some pretty
advanced tech though. Like that remote controlled
scoop, right? Yeah, that's all they got an
expedited permit for. That exactly to clear the debris

(01:24):
without putting more rescuers atrisk.
And they're using drones too, I gather.
Yeah, specialized laser scanningdrones mapping the whole
collapse zone in 3D. That data goes straight to the
geotechnical experts. So it's a very careful, very
deliberate process. Safety first, obviously.

(01:45):
Absolutely. Which means it could take time,
weeks potentially. And getting communication
reestablished, that's gotta be ahuge priority too, just knowing
what's happening on the other. Side, definitely, but you know
this collapse didn't happen in avacuum.
No, it didn't, and that's where the context becomes really
important. This happened during work on a
major expansion, right? A fast tracked.
One the block cave operation. Exactly.

(02:06):
Which is well, it's an efficientmining method, but it's
inherently complex. You're basically inducing
controlled collapses to get the ore.
And this specific expansion was prioritized by the BC
government. Right.
And the Red Chris mine itself, it has a history.
It was flagged in that review after the Mount Holly disaster
back in 2014. Similar concerns about tailings

(02:26):
dam foundations. And there were other issues,
too. Environmental violations.
Yeah, things like contaminant seepage, issues with wildlife
fencing, electrification, documented problems.
It really throws that tension into sharp relief, you know,
economic drive versus operational risk, especially at
a site with known challenges. And adding another layer.

(02:46):
The mine is on Talton Nation territory.
This isn't just like a standard land agreement anymore, is.
It not at all that 2023 agreement they signed under BCD
RIPA legislation that was groundbreaking.
Drupa, That's the Declaration onthe Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Act. Right.
It gives the Tahltan Nation realconsent rates, significant say

(03:06):
in operations, plus major economic benefits.
You're talking hundreds of tall 10 members employed massive
revenues for their Development Corporation.
So this crisis now, it's a huge test for that partnership, isn't
it? Absolutely.
It's testing how that Co management, that Indigenous
sovereignty works in practice under extreme pressure.

(03:27):
It's not just theory anymore. Yeah, real world application in
an emergency. And you know, what strikes me is
how the miners survival, their safety in that refuge chamber
connects back to Canada's wider mining safety.
Story. You mean like lessons learned
from past tragedies? Precisely those mandatory refuge
chambers. They're a direct result of
disasters like Westray back in 1992.

(03:48):
Remember that 26 miners lost. A terrible incident led to major
changes. Didn't.
It huge changes union advocacy eventually led to the Westray
law in 2004 that amended the Criminal Code, making
corporations criminally liable for negligence causing harm.
So the fact these miners had a refuge chamber to go to.
Is a direct legacy of that fight.
It's It's a story of ground failure, yes, but also a

(04:10):
powerful example of how legislated safety measures born
from tragedy can actually work. It turns a potential catastrophe
to, well, a stark reminder of progress.
So when we pull all these threads together, what's the key
take away here? Well, I think the Red Chris
situation is more than just a rescue operation.
Yeah, it feels like a stress test almost.

(04:30):
Yeah, pushing modern restructuring, never really
involving Indigenous partnerships, all happening at
once. Exactly.
It's a narrative of failure, theground failure, but also
success, the safety protocols, the legislative legacy.
And it's all playing out againstthat backdrop of, you know,
economic pressures and these shifting Indigenous

(04:52):
relationships. So something for you to think
about. In a world that needs resources,
how do we actually strike that balance between meeting those
needs, ensuring absolute safety,protecting the environment and
really respecting and implementing true Indigenous
stewardship? It's a tough question, and one
that incidents like this force us all to confront.