Transcript EXHIBIT_8-Azimuth NIRB Tecnhical.ppt

Fisheries and Aquatic Issues 2006
NIRB Final Hearing
Community Presentations, March 2006
1996 – 2005 Baseline Assessment
2006
 Comprehensive understanding of:
 Water and sediment chemistry
 Lower trophic level biota (plankton, benthos)
 Fish population biology and ecology
 Fish habitat assessment and utilization
2006
2004 – 2006 Environmental Impact Assessment
 Environmental Impact Assessment
 Physical or chemical activity or impact
 Potential effect on Valued Ecosystem
Component (e.g., water, fish, habitat)
 Mitigation and Management
 Residual effect and significance
Intervener Information Gaps and
Achievements
2006
 Fisheries evaluation of All-Weather Road (AWR)
stream crossings
 Finalize Environmental Impact Assessment
 Revise No Net Loss (NNL) of Habitat Plan
 Fish habitat compensation strategy
 Portage lakes connecting channel hydrology
2006
2005 Information Gaps and Achievements
 Intake and effluent pipe design and airstrip citing
 Phaser Lake evaluation and habitat
 Effluent water quality and receiving environment
effects
 Human Health and Wildlife Risk Assessment
 Baker Lake Marshalling Facility
 Post-closure pit water quality and habitat
All Weather Road
 25 Stream crossings
 Six crossings have Arctic
grayling, small numbers of
whitefish, trout, char
 Seven crossings only have
stickleback
 16 crossings have no fish
 Five streams crossed by bridges
 All others crossed by culverts
2006
2006
No Net Loss of Habitat
 Detailed understanding of habitat
based on fishing, aerial photo maps,
sediment chemistry, underwater video
 Habitat value was quantified based on
importance as spawning, rearing,
foraging, overwintering, species
composition and abundance (i.e.,
greater weight given to trout, char,
less to sculpin)
2006
2006
2006
2006
End of Pipe (EOP) Water Quality Monitoring
 Effluent discharge to Third Portage and Wally
lakes subject to very stringent regulations
 Metal Mining Effluent Regulations
 Weekly and monthly chemistry
 Acute toxicity testing (fish, invertebrate)
 Sublethal toxicity testing (algae,
invertebrate, fish)
 Environmental Effects Monitoring
 Benthic community survey
 Fisheries survey
 Fish tissue chemistry
Receiving Environment Water Chemistry
 Golder predicts that EOP metals
concentrations are 100s to 1000s below
permissible discharge limits (MMER)
 Although not appropriate, EOP
concentrations are below the most
conservative guidelines to protect all
aquatic life
 Given such low concentrations, water
quality will remain very high and no
impact to aquatic life is predicted
2006
Fish Habitat Compensation Options
 Loss of habitat cannot be
completely compensated for
during operation
 Goose Island Finger dikes
 Portage lakes connecting
channel
 A number of candidate habitat
replacement options have been
developed with DFO
 Investigate feasibility over time
 Adaptive Management
2006
Wildlife Screening-Level Risk Assessment
 Wildlife Risk Assessment to
determine present environmental
contaminants and potential risks
to important wildlife species
 Forecast potential loading of
metals to the environment from
mine operations that could be
accumulated by wildlife
• Dust from waste rock
• Ore stockpile
• Tailings Pond
2006
Wildlife SLRA
 Soil and vegetation samples
were collected from near-field
and reference areas, also fish Hg
 All media was analysed for total
metals
 Food chain modeling to predict
metals concentrations in
 Small mammals
 Insectivorous birds
 Piscivorous birds
 Ungulates
 Carnivores
2006
Wildlife SLRA
 Wildlife SLRA determined that
only chromium is naturally
elevated in soil and present risk
to wildlife is negligible
 Management and mitigation of
potential contaminant sources is
critical to minimize losses
 Additions of metals to soils and
vegetation over mine life is low
and no significant increase in
risk to wildlife is predicted
2006
Baker Lake Marshalling Area
 There are no fish bearing waters
on the footprint of the
marshalling area at Baker Lake
 Several regulators have
expressed concern about
accidents and runoff from area
affecting Baker water quality
 Cumberland agrees and will
implement water quality
monitoring of the sump
2006
Summary and Milestones
2006
 A great deal of work and study has been conducted
over the last two years to address data gaps and
concerns expressed by regulators and the
community
 The revised water management plan virtually
eliminates impacts to water quality in all lakes
Summary and Milestones
2006
 Strong commitment to minimize impacts to fish
habitat and replace habitat over time, during
operation and beyond
 With proper management, mitigation and
monitoring, risk to wildlife and human health from
mine operation is negligible
Matna
2006