Plans for a massive underground coal mine south of Courtenay, near Buckley Bay, suffered a major blow Friday with provincial rejection of Compliance Coal Corp.’s application for the Raven Underground Coal Project.

A letter to John Tapics, Compliance Coal CEO, from the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, says the 12,000-page application is missing information.

The Environmental Assessment Office “has determined that the application does not contain the required information and has decided not to accept the application for detailed review,” it says.

The letter is accompanied by 114 pages identifying areas not adequately addressed. Lack of consultation with First Nations and insufficient information about the effect of the 3,100-hectare mine on drinking water and air quality are among concerns.

Water quality and potential effects on the shellfish industry have been top concerns in the Comox Valley.

Compliance Coal spokeswoman Candy-Lea Chickite said the company is reviewing comments from the Environmental Assessment Office.

“This may take some time and company personnel will not be available for comment until the review process is over,” she said.

A B.C. Environment Ministry statement said it is now up to Compliance Coal to review the Environment Assessment Office comments, revise the application and re-submit it, if the company chooses to do so.

It is not known how long the process will be delayed.

The proposal is undergoing a joint federal and provincial review. It was expected that, after the application was accepted, there would be a 180-day public comment period and the two levels of government would then have 45 days to make a decision.

John Snyder, president of CoalWatch Comox Valley Society, said it appears the Environmental Assessment Office is sending Compliance Coal back to the drawing board.

“Some of it might be bookkeeping stuff, but, when they give you a 114-page laundry list of what they want you to include, I think a lot of it might take some time,” Snyder said.

“Whether or not this is a death knell for the project will take some time to determine.”

Torrance Coste, Wilderness Committee campaigner, said the decision highlights the company’s lack of commitment to local communities, First Nations and the environment. “It is just another indication that this mine doesn’t belong on Vancouver Island,” he said.

In previous interviews, Tapics said the first coal could come out of the ground in late 2015.

The company estimates the mine could generate $1.1 billion for the north Island economy and create 200 jobs during construction and 350 jobs once the mine is built.

This article also appeared in the Vancouver Sun on May 18, 2013.