Almost a month after a tailings pond from the Mount Polley Mine in Likely, B.C. collapsed, releasing a catastrophic flood of toxic waste water into pristine lakes and forests nearby, an investigation of possible causes is underway.

The Government of British Columbia, along with the support of the Soda Creek Indian Band and Williams Lake Indian Band, has initiated an independent engineering inquiry by a group of geotechnical experts.

The experienced panel will probe the cause of the Imperial Metals Mount Polley gold and copper mine disaster, including design of the dam, maintenance, regulations, inspections and standards.

“We have a responsibility, as the jurisdiction where this failure took place, to find out exactly why it happened, ensure it never happens again and take a leadership role internationally in learning from this serious incident,” says Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines.

Besides the review, the chief inspector of mines has also issued an order to all mining companies to conduct a Dam Safety Inspection for every tailings storage facility at a permitted mine by December 1, 2014.

The final report from the inquiry, which will determine why the tailings failed, is planned to be released by January 31, 2015.

“Our nations and all British Columbians have raised questions as to how such a disaster could occur, says Chief Bev Sellars, from the Soda Creek Indian Band. “With this independent investigation, we will all get the answers we need and deserve.”