What is block-cave mining and why are mines transitioning to it?
Three drillers have been freed from being trapped underground at the Red Chris Mine in northern B.C, a site transitioning from open-pit to block-cave mining. Erik Eberhardt, a professor of geological engineering at UBC, says the transition is in response to higher demand for copper used for batteries and electronics. He tells BC Today host Michelle Eliot block-cave mining is a method that can extend an open-pit mine's life by accessing the copper that's deep underground.