Transcript 071129-06MN082-HIGH LAKE_CommunityReps_Presentation-OT2E.ppt

The Nunavut Impact Review
Board
An Institution of Public Government created by the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement
Preparation for the Pre-Hearing Conference
High Lake Project Proposal
December 2007
Outline of Presentation
• Who is NIRB?
• What does NIRB do?
• High Lake Brief Project Overview
• Technical Topics
• Pre-Hearing Conference Information
What does NIRB do?
NIRB = Impact
Assessment
Environmental Impacts
Socio-Economic Impacts
Cumulative Impacts
NIRB Assessment Process
Initial Assessment (called Screening)
Proceed
Public Review
Required
More Information
Required
Do Not
Proceed
Section 12.4.4 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement gives NIRB
these four options after assessing a project or activity
What is a Review?
A Review is a more detailed environmental
assessment of the Project
NIRB screening decision
12.4.4 (b) NLCA
NIRB Part 5 Review
Flow Chart
Minister refers project
To Part 5 Review
DEIS Technical Review
Issue Scoping
Technical Meeting
Guideline development
Pre-Hearing Conference
& NIRB Decision
NIRB receives DEIS
NIRB receives FEIS
Conformity Review
NIRB internal Conformity
Review to PHC decision
FEIS Technical Review
Final Hearing
NIRB’s Decision
(Report to the Minister)
Minister’s Decision
NIRB
issues a Project Certificate
& holds a regulators meeting
EA Post-Mortem
Why are you here?
• Give you information about the High Lake
Project
• To tell you about the potential positive
and/or negative impacts from the project
• To prepare you for the High Lake PreHearing Conference
In your binders…
– Agenda for the Pre-Hearing Conference
– The presentation
– Executive summary of the DEIS and relevant
maps
– Intervener technical comment summaries
High Lake Project Overview
Project Background
1) Proposed three zones to mine zinc, copper,
silver and gold
– AB, D and West Zone
– AB and D Zone: open pits and underground mining
– West Zone: underground mining
2) ~16 year project life:
– 2 year construction period
– 14 year operational life
– 3 to 6 year reclamation and post closure period
High Lake Mine Project
Main Components of the High Lake Mine:
– Dock facility at Gray’s Bay
– Mobilization and Shipping
– Winter Road
– All Weather Road
– Airstrip
– High Lake Mine Site
– Quarry Sites
– Employment
Gray’s Bay Dock
• 100 m dock to support
ships (50 000 tonnes)
• Dock will service the High
Lake mine site
• Copper and zinc
concentrate mineral
storage building
• Fuel Storage
• Laydown area
Gray’s Bay Dock
• Explosives storage and
use
• Marine dredging, blasting
and drilling
• Camp with water supply
and sewage treatment
• Power generator
• Vehicle and aircraft
movement
• Barge traffic
Mobilization and Shipping
Mobilization and Shipping
Routing options:
• Two routes considered
(western and eastern)
• Navigable route through
Coronation Gulf and
Grays Bay has been
determined
• Shipping and ice
breaking will not take
place during caribou
migration periods
Mobilization and Shipping
Vessel options:
• Tug and barges using the
western route
• Ice class vessel using an
eastern route
• ~4 to 6 ships needed for
each shipping season
• Wastewater and sewage
from ships will be
contained on board
Winter Road
Winter Road
• Temporary 49 km
road from Gray’s Bay
to the mine site
• Used by heavy trucks
• Follow 30.5 km lakes
& watercourses
• 20 – 30 m wide
• Constructed from
water and snow
All Season Road
All Season Road
• 53 km from Gray’s Bay
to Mine site
• Single lane, two way
road
• Pull outs every km
• Construction 2008/09,
Reclamation 2024/26
• 14 stream crossings
and close to one lake
All Season Road
Proposed route, below rock outcrop going to the left, looking south
Road to go along the rock outcrop, looking south
Airstrip
• Located 12 km north of mine
• Current runway will be
expanded to 2000 m
• Protection shelters
• Temporary construction camp
• Fuel storage
High Lake Mine Site Infrastructure
AB Zone
West Zone
D Zone
Primary Facilities
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Open pits and underground mines
Crushing plant and ore processing facility
Roads and Utilities
Ore and Waste Rock Piles
Tailings Impoundment
Water Management Structures
Secondary Facilities
• 250 people camp and office facility
• Water supply and wastewater
management
• Solid waste management facilities
• Fuel and explosives storage
Employment
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Administration and Management
Construction Workforce
Operational Workforce
Closure/Reclamation Workforce
Mobilization
– Fly in fly out with 2-3 flights / week
from Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay,
Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, Kugaaruk
Closure and Reclamation
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Pits
Ore and Waste rock piles
Tailings Impoundment
Roads and Airstrip
Buildings and Infrastructure
NIRB screening decision
12.4.4 (b) NLCA
NIRB Part 5 Review
Flow Chart
Minister refers project
To Part 5 Review
DEIS Technical Review
Issue Scoping
Technical Meeting
Guideline development
Pre-Hearing Conference
& NIRB Decision
NIRB receives DEIS
NIRB receives FEIS
Conformity Review
NIRB internal Conformity
Review to PHC decision
FEIS Technical Review
Final Hearing
NIRB’s Decision
(Report to the Minister)
Minister’s Decision
NIRB
issues a Project Certificate
& holds a regulators meeting
EA Post-Mortem
Technical Topics
1. Atmosphere (Climate Change, Air Quality and Noise)
2. Hydrology and Hydrogeology
3. Water Quality (Groundwater, Freshwater and Marine)
4. Sediment Quality (Freshwater and Marine)
5. Fish and Fish Habitat
6. Marine Mammals and Marine Habitat;
7. Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat
8. Terrestrial
9. Human Health
10.Socio-Economics
11.Archaeology
12.Cumulative Effects
13.Closure
14.Project Alternatives
Atmosphere
(Climate Change)
• Potential effect of climate change on the project
• Important how the company included the
uncertainty of climate change in their predictions
Atmosphere
(Air)
• Increased dust levels (waste rocks, roads,
general operations)
• Emissions from vehicles, process plant or
incinerators
Atmosphere
(Noise)
Drill Move at Granite Lake
(Zinifex Canada Inc.)
• Effects of blasting and
crushing rock
• Noise from aircraft
and vehicles on the
roads
Shovel on Tundra
(Rob MacLean – EKATI Diamond Mine)
Hydrology and Hydrogeology
• Potential changes in
lake and stream levels
from project activities
• Potential changes in
groundwater quantity
and flow from
underground mine
Water Quality
(Groundwater, Freshwater and Marine)
• Potential effects to freshwater quality in
surrounding lakes and streams
• Potential effects to marine water quality
Sediment Quality
(Freshwater and Marine)
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Blasting and construction of the mine site
Dock construction at Grays Bay
Runoff from waste rock
Marine dredging and blasting
Fish and Fish Habitat
• Alterations of habitat
• Explosive detonation
• Reduced water
quality
• Accidental spills
• Shipping routes
Marine Mammals and Habitat
• Effects of shipping
through Coronation
Gulf
• Dock construction at
Grays Bay
• Winter road and loss
of ice habitat
• Shipping spills
Wildlife
• Effects on wildlife and wildlife
behaviour from project
activities
• Changes to caribou
migration patterns
• Loss of migratory bird habitat
Terrestrial
• Effects on landforms due
to surface disturbances
• Potential shoreline
erosion as a result of
wake effects
• Introduction of exotic
plants to the region
• Effects to vegetation
health from dust and air
emissions
Human Health
• Potential effects on
human health,
through:
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–
Air quality
Drinking water quality
Noise levels
Consumption of
traditional foods
• Impacts on worker
health and safety
Socio-Economic
• Socio-economic impact and benefit analysis
• Employment, Education and Training
• Effect on traditional activities and traditional
lifestyle
Archaeology
• Potential impacts to
archeological sites
– Physical disturbance
of sites due to project
activities
– Increased human
activity in the areas
Cumulative Effects
• Project-specific effects associated with High
Lake to combine with residual effects of other
projects and activities in the region on projectspecific VECs:
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Air quality
Water quality
Aquatic ecosystems
Bathurst Caribou, Dolphin and Union Caribou, Peary
Caribou
– Wildlife
– Marine mammals
– Socio-economic
Closure and Reclamation
• Backfilling of the mine zones with tailings
and waste rock
• Placement of tailings underwater in High
Lake Tailings impoundment
• Removal of project infrastructure and
buildings
• Treatment of tailings after closure
• Monitoring after closure
Project Alternatives
• Project Alternatives involves assessing
options for a particular project component
and considering the different choices for
that option
– Alternatives to the tailings facility
– Waste rock storage facility
– Tailings disposal methods
– Dock site locations
– Road access to mine site
NIRB screening decision
12.4.4 (b) NLCA
NIRB Part 5 Review
Flow Chart
Minister refers project
To Part 5 Review
DEIS Technical Review
Issue Scoping
Technical Meeting
Guideline development
Pre-Hearing Conference
& NIRB Decision
NIRB receives DEIS
NIRB receives FEIS
Conformity Review
NIRB internal Conformity
Review to PHC decision
FEIS Technical Review
Final Hearing
NIRB’s Decision
(Report to the Minister)
Minister’s Decision
NIRB
issues a Project Certificate
& holds a regulators meeting
EA Post-Mortem
Parties at Pre-Hearing Conference
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Kitikmeot Inuit Association
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc
Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers’ Organization
Government of Nunavut
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Natural Resources Canada
Environment Canada
Health Canada
…AND YOU!
Next Steps – Pre-Hearing
Conference
• At the Pre-Hearing Conference the
Nunavut Impact Review Board will hear:
– Intervening parties positions on whether or
not they agree with what the company’s
impact predictions
– Community concerns
• Following the PHC, the NIRB will prepare
a PHC Report providing direction for the
Final Hearing
Community Roundtable Session
• Zinifex will give a
short presentation
• The Board will be
sitting with you,
around the table
• The Chair will ask
you if you have any
questions for Zinifex,
or if you want to
make a comment
Doris North Final Hearing –
Community Roundtable Session
Thank you for your time, and we
look forward to seeing you
tomorrow!