Berg needs both a provincial environmental assessment and, very likely, a federal impact assessment. BC has asked Ottawa to let one provincial review stand in for both. This page sets out what has happened so far and the schedule the company proposes.
Surge Copper filed its Initial Project Description with the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) on September 9, 2026. Two days later the EAO asked the federal government to substitute BC's process for the federal one. On September 15 the EAO approved the IPD and engagement plan by order, and Early Engagement began. The company's own schedule targets provincial and federal decisions in the third quarter of 2029 and a "construction-ready" status by the fourth quarter of 2030.
The project receives no federal funding and uses no federal land. Source: IPD, p. 5-2.
More on each notice is on the First Nations page.
The IPD's stated purpose is to initiate the provincial and federal processes, and section 13(1)(b) of the Environmental Assessment Act requires the engagement plan that accompanies it. Source: IPD, p. 1-3; IPD, p. 1-4. The order of September 15, 2026 records that Surge's submission "satisfies the Environmental Assessment Office guidelines" and approves both documents. It describes the project as 120,000 tonnes of ore a day, "equivalent to approximately 43 million tonnes per year, over a 28-year operational mine life". It is signed by Chelsea Garside, Acting Project Assessment Director. Source: Section 13(3)(a) Order, Sep 15, 2026.
Under the Impact Assessment Cooperation Agreement between Canada and BC, the federal Minister can let BC's assessment stand in for the federal one. The IPD calls this "one project, one assessment". BC's assessment would then also have to meet federal requirements, and the EAO would report to both governments' ministers. Source: IPD, p. 5-1; IPD, p. 5-2.
The EAO's letter of September 11, 2026, from Acting Chief Executive Assessment Officer Danielle Smyth to IAAC President Terence Hubbard, makes the request now so that IAAC can consult on it during a planned joint comment period. Its main points are these:
The letter also cites a March 2025 commitment statement between BC and Canada on coordinated permitting for critical mineral projects. Under it the EAO and IAAC are running a joint process for BC's Early Engagement and IAAC's Planning phase. Source: EAO substitution request, Sep 11, 2026, p. 2.
Table 5.6-1 of the IPD is Surge's critical path to a construction decision. The legislated durations come from the statutes; the target dates are the company's.
| Stage | Legislated duration | Company target | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-EA preparation | Proponent driven | Q4 2025 to Q4 2026 | IPD and engagement plan submitted; baseline programs continue |
| Early Engagement | 90 days | Q4 2026 to Q1 2027 | Joint Summary of Issues and Engagement; EAO identifies Participating Indigenous Nations |
| Detailed Project Description | About 60 days (proponent driven) | Q1 2027 | Detailed Project Description and draft Application Information Requirements; a substitution decision may come at this stage |
| Readiness decision | None set | Q1 2027 | EAO decides whether the assessment can begin |
| Process planning | 120 days minimum | Q2 to Q3 2027 | Process Order, information requirements, assessment plan; Technical Advisory Committee formed |
| Application development | About 12 to 18 months (proponent driven) | Q1 2027 to Q2 2028 | Application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate submitted |
| Application review | 180 days maximum, plus about 45 days | Q2 2028 to Q1 2029 | Public comment period; revised application |
| Effects assessment and recommendation | 150 days maximum | Q1 to Q3 2029 | Assessment Report and proposed conditions; IAAC draft Decision Statement |
| Provincial decision | 30 days maximum | Q3 2029 | Environmental Assessment Certificate |
| Federal decision | 30 days maximum | Q3 2029 | Decision Statement |
| BC permits | None set | 2028 to 2029 | All BC approvals; the certificate must come first |
| Federal authorizations | None set | Q4 2030 | All federal authorizations; construction-ready status |
Source: IPD, p. 5-7, Table 5.6-1; IPD, p. 5-8, Table 5.6-1. Some wording is shortened.
Surge intends to seek permits at the same time as the assessment "where supported by regulators", and expects clarity on that "over the coming months". Source: IPD, p. 5-2.
Our assessment. We assess the schedule as a proponent's best case. Early Engagement has a fixed 90 days, but most later stages run on the company's preparation time and the EAO's readiness decision. The Tenas coal review next door, documented at telkwa-coal.ca, shows how information requests can extend those stages by years.
The IPD lists the permits it expects to need. By our count Table 5.4-1 lists 24 provincial permits and approvals and Table 5.4-2 lists 11 federal ones, and both tables are marked preliminary. Source: IPD, p. 5-3, Table 5.4-1; IPD, p. 5-6, Table 5.4-2. The largest are:
The EAO's letter says a joint public comment period is to be held "shortly". The seven documents on the registry do not yet give its dates. Surge plans public open houses in Smithers and says public engagement begins in Early Engagement. Source: EAO substitution request, Sep 11, 2026, p. 2; IPD, p. 7-5; IPD, p. 7-10.
Page references give the printed page label; each link opens the PDF at that page.