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November 22, 1996
(Executive Council)

 

The following statement was issued today by Premier Brian Tobin in Happy Valley-Goose Bay:

Four Party MOU Reached on Joint Public Review of the Proposed Voisey's Bay Project

An agreement has been reached on a joint public review of the proposed mine and mill development near Voisey's Bay, Labrador. This agreement is the culmination of a series of discussions and meetings involving the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Canada, the Labrador Inuit Association (LIA) and the Innu Nation over the past several months.

The LIA and the Innu Nation have participated from the beginning in developing this MOU and the related draft Terms of Reference and factors to be considered in the environmental assessment of the Voisey's Bay Project. Unfortunately, Mr. Peter Penashue, President, Innu Nation, and Mr. William Barbour, President, Labrador Inuit Association, were prevented from joining us here today because of flight difficulties.

I am also pleased to acknowledge the strong partnership role that the federal government has taken throughout this process, in particular ministers Marchi, Mifflin, Irwin, McLellan and their senior officials.

The draft MOU will be available in the next few days for public comment until December 23, 1996. Meanwhile the four parties will now focus on the selection of a review panel to conduct the environmental assessment.

The panel review process will be primarily Labrador based. The panel office for the review will be located in Nain and the public hearings processes of the panel review will focus largely on the Inuit and Innu communities as well as other communities in Labrador.

The parties have entered into this agreement with the aim of ensuring that the environmental effects of the proposed development are assessed through the establishment of a single, effective and efficient public review process.

1996 11 22   3:50 p.m.

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