The proposed expansion of Elk Valley Resources’ (EVR) Fording River coal mine formally entered British Columbia’s environmental assessment process public comment period today. This is a critical opportunity for the public to weigh in on whether coal mining in the Elk Valley should expand further while existing mines continue to pollute, affecting downstream ecosystems and communities.
The Fording River Extension (FRX) would expand B.C.’s largest coal mine by more than 2,000 hectares, producing over three billion cubic metres of waste rock in the process. Waste rock from Elk Valley coal mines, including Fording River, is the primary source of the selenium pollution that’s threatening aquatic ecosystems in B.C.’s Elk Valley and all along the Kootenay River.
“The fact that this expansion is being proposed while existing Elk Valley mines pollute aquatic ecosystems and drinking water should be grounds alone for the B.C. government to reject this proposal,” said Simon Wiebe, Mining Impacts and Policy Lead at Wildsight. “This public comment period is an opportunity for everyone affected by this crisis to speak up and make sure that B.C. listens.”
Selenium concentrations in rivers downstream of the mines have exceeded provincial safety thresholds for decades, threatening fish reproduction for species like the threatened westslope cutthroat trout, aquatic food webs and drinking water throughout the system. The downstream communities of Fernie and Sparwood have both been forced to move municipal water supply sources due to selenium contamination in the past.
Despite EVR receiving almost $80 million in fines and penalties for water pollution and delayed mitigation over the past five years —with additional charges currently before the courts — the contamination continues.
Last year, selenium levels just downstream of the Fording River mine peaked at 38.5 times higher than B.C.’s aquatic health safety limit. Selenium levels in the Elk River near Sparwood haven’t been below safe limits for the river’s entire 24-year testing record.
“Considering adding to the piles of waste rock that are the source of this problem before EVR has shown it’s able to manage and treat the existing tide of pollution is nonsensical. The BC government needs to step up and govern responsibly; we can’t let these mines continue to make massive profits at the expense of everyone and everything downstream,” Wiebe said.
Pollution from the Elk River flows across the Canada–U.S. border into Montana and Idaho, where downstream impacts have triggered an ongoing International Joint Commission investigation.
“An International Joint Commission investigation is a rare and serious step that reflects the scale of the crisis that this watershed is in. But rather than addressing the root cause of the problem, B.C. is considering approving a project that would exacerbate it,” Wiebe said.
In its project description, EVR argues that denying the expansion would undermine its sustainability goals, suggesting that increased coal production is necessary to become a “nature-positive” mining company.
“This framing turns accountability on its head,” Wiebe said. “Threatening to pull back on environmental commitments if expansions are not approved is fundamentally corrosive to public trust, both in the operator and in the government that allows it.”
In October 2025, the Ktunaxa Nation stated in a letter that it did “not endorse FRX moving into the EA [environmental assessment] stage of the process”, citing its dissatisfaction with EVR’s water quality compliance and lack of progress on reclamation among its chief concerns.
Despite this, B.C. has now moved the project forward into the EA process public comment period, and will receive public feedback until February 15.
“The province now faces a clear choice: uphold clean water protections or allow the expansion of mining that will leave a legacy of pollution for generations,” Wiebe said. “Approving the Fording River mine expansion would be a massive step backwards in international efforts to tackle the Elk Valley’s ongoing water contamination crisis.”
To submit feedback on the Fording River Expansion, see Wildsight’s website for suggested messaging and visit engage.eao.gov.bc.ca/FRX-PP
