Environmental Assessment Bulletin

The Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Environment and Conservation, has announced the following events relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

UNDERTAKINGS REGISTERED:

Muskrat Falls-Grand River Ironsands Sampling Program (Reg. 1610)
Proponent: Grand River Ironsands

The proponent proposes to collect a bulk sample of up to 4,022 cubic metres of raw sand from the sampling location. The site of the proposed undertaking is located adjacent to the existing Muskrat Falls access road, approximately 27 kilometres west of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador. Access to the site is by road. No construction is required. The operation will consist of removal of sand, by excavator and/or front end loader. The sample would be evaluated in a melt test at a commercial plant located at an off-site processing facility. Bulk sampling is scheduled to begin in late 2011 prior to the winter freeze.

The undertaking was registered October 17, 2011; the deadline for public comments is November 21, 2011; and the minister’s decision is due by November 27, 2011.

Kami Iron Ore Project (Reg. 1611)
Proponent: Alderon Iron Ore Corp.

Alderon Iron Ore Corp (Alderon) is proposing to develop an open-pit iron ore mine in western Labrador and to build associated infrastructure at Port of Sept-Îles, Quebec. The proposed mine site is located six kilometres south of Wabush Mines in the vicinity of the towns of Wabush, Labrador City and Fermont. The mine site is situated entirely within Labrador and has an approximate area of 7,700 hectares. The project will produce up to 16 million metric tonnes of iron ore concentrate per year that will be transported by existing railway to the Port of Sept-Îles, Quebec.

The proposed project includes construction, operation, rehabilitation and closure of the following primary components: open pit, waste rock disposal areas, processing infrastructure, tailings management facility, ancillary infrastructure to support the mine and processing plant, and a rail transportation component. The project is scheduled to start construction in late 2013 or early 2014; operations are projected to be completed by 2030 followed with the decommissioning and rehabilitation phases.

The undertaking was registered on October 14, 2011; the deadline for public comments is November 21, 2011; and the minister’s decision is due by November 28, 2011.

For further information on the environmental assessment process, please contact the Director of Environmental Assessment at 709-729-4211 or toll-free: 1-800-563-6181 or by mail to:

Director, Environmental Assessment Division
Department of Environment and Conservation
West Block, Confederation Building
P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NL A1B 4J6

Environmental assessment information is on the department website at: www.gov.nl.ca/env 

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Media contact:
Melony O’Neill
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 689-0928
moneill@gov.nl.ca 

2011 10 17             4:30 p.m.