Federal Agency Reviewing Impact Assessment Request for Record Ridge Mine as Key Provincial Approvals Remain Outstanding

ROSSLAND, BC, Dec. 18, 2025 /CNW/ - The Save Record Ridge Action Committee (SRRAC) has announced that the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) is reviewing SRRAC's request to designate the Record Ridge mine, proposed by the proponent West High Yield Resources Ltd. (TSXV: WHY) (OTCQB: WHYRF), for a federal environmental assessment under the Impact Assessment Act. The IAAC has confirmed the review is active and SRRAC's submission has been posted to the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry.

SRRAC's filing outlines potential federal impacts of the proposed mine, including transboundary water pollution risks affecting the Columbia River, impacts on fish and fish habitat, effects on Indigenous rights and traditional land use, and effects involving old-growth forests, red-listed grasslands, and federally listed species. The submission incorporates a letter from the US Environmental Protection Agency and correspondence from the Washington State Department of Ecology, both of which address specific transboundary concerns.

In addition to the federal review, the project still requires several provincial approvals before construction or operations may begin. Outstanding authorizations and permits include those for water use, discharges, road access, potential trail relocation, and timber clearing. The current Mines Act permit, which is the only that has been granted, restricts activity to 1 April through 15 November, and SRRAC notes that snowpacks can persist into June at the mine's elevation--over 4,500 feet--further limiting access.

Two judicial matters are ongoing. SRRAC is preparing a judicial review petition regarding the Mines Act permit, for filing early in 2026, and in September SRRAC filed a judicial review petition in the Supreme Court of British Columbia challenging the provincial Environmental Assessment Office's decision not to require an environmental assessment. SRRAC notes that the Province of British Columbia originally ordered an environmental assessment in August 2024. SRRAC is seeking a court injunction suspending the Mines Act permit until the judicial reviews have been heard and decided.

"We feel that this project has several potential impacts that fall under federal jurisdiction and that a federal impact assessment is warranted," said SRRAC spokesperson Melanie Mercier.

About SRRAC

The Save Record Ridge Action Committee (SRRAC) is a registered nonprofit society that participates in regulatory and legal processes relating to the proposed Record Ridge project.

SOURCE Save Record Ridge Action Committee Society

For further information, contact: Melanie Mercier, Save Record Ridge Action Committee, 613-697-2888, [email protected], www.SaveRecordRidge.ca