Historic mine opening found 25 metres from Rossland’s KC Trail
A section of Rossland’s Kootenay-Columbia Trail between Snake and Eddie J Upper will close beginning Sept. 28 for about three weeks while Teck Legacy Properties seals a historic mine opening about 25 metres from the trail.
City of Rossland image.
A historic mine opening near Rossland’s Kootenay Columbia Trail will be permanently sealed, with a three-week trail closure beginning Sept. 28 so crews can complete the work.
Teck Legacy Properties says the opening was identified about 25 metres from the Iron Horse section of the trail through its monitoring and risk-management program for areas affected by historic mining activity. Precautionary fencing and signage have already been installed.
During the closure, crews will fill and seal the underground opening using engineered foam, concrete, grout and backfill to stabilize the void. Once that work is complete, the area will be restored and regraded.
Teck says the feature is associated with historic mining activity in the Rossland area, although it did not identify which specific mine or working the opening belongs to. The company says the project is being carried out voluntarily as part of its ongoing geotechnical monitoring and risk-management program for historic mine features, in engagement with B.C.’s Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals.
According to Teck, the company holds the Crown-granted mineral claims in the area while the City of Rossland holds the surface rights. The Kootenay Columbia Trails Society manages the nearby trail corridor through a Licence of Occupation with Teck.
Teck says there are no known environmental or public-health concerns associated with the site and describes the work as a proactive public-safety measure.
The City of Rossland said in an Aug. 28 notice that the section of the KC Trail between the Snake and Eddie J Upper trails will close beginning Monday, Sept. 28. The closure is expected to last about three weeks, with work scheduled Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Brief closures of 30 to 60 minutes may also occur near the Centennial Trail parking lot and Monte Christo Road while equipment is moved to the work site. The city has warned trail users to expect increased noise and heavy-equipment activity during the project.
Teck says the trail is expected to reopen in its existing location once the mitigation work is complete.
A historic mine opening near Rossland’s Kootenay Columbia Trail will be permanently sealed, with a three-week trail closure beginning Sept. 28 so crews can complete the work.