Lawyers for the company behind the New Prosperity Mine project in the Cariboo Region were in federal court applying to have two judicial reviews combined into a single action to seek financial damages from the federal government on Oct. 22.
The judge reserved a decision for a later date.
New Prosperity, a $1.5-billion gold/copper mine proposed by Taseko Mines Ltd. in the Chilcotin northwest of 100 Mile House, was for the second time rejected by the federal government in February after a Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) panel found the project was likely to cause significant adverse effects on the environment and infringe on First Nations use of lands for traditional purposes.
Taseko alleges government officials engaged in misfeasance in public office and acted unlawfully when they met privately with project opponents before key decisions on the project were announced.
