Environment and Conservation
August 8, 2014
Environmental Assessment Bulletin
The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister of Environment and Conservation, has announced the following event relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SUBMITTED
PUBLIC COMMENTS INVITED:
Wabush 3 Open Pit Mine Project (Reg. 1711)
Proponent: Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC)
The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) proposes to construct and operate a new open pit mine at its Labrador West mine site. The Wabush 3 open pit mine will be a conventional open pit mine that will provide iron ore to its existing concentrator plant to achieve and maintain production of iron concentrate at the mill’s rated capacity and will provide a new source of iron ore to extend the life of the Carol Project.
The project is located in Western Labrador and the Wabush 3 footprint (approximately 570 ha) is within IOC’s existing property boundaries (Mining Lease 15-Block 22-5). The site is situated to the south of and adjacent to the Smokey Mountain Alpine Lodge and sections of the Menihek Nordic Ski Club trails and the entire footprint is within the Town of Labrador City’s Planning Boundary. The project will be developed in four phases that will include a mix of site development, operations and decommissioning. The project will consist of an open pit containing an estimated 744 M tonnes of iron ore, an overburden storage area, a waste rock disposal pile, haulage roads, a pole line, a groundwater extraction system and a mine water collection, treatment and disposal system. The project proposes the removal of two waterbodies, Pumphouse Pond and Drum Lake and occurs to the west of the protected Beverley Lake watershed. Phase four will include site closure and rehabilitation.
The Minister of Environment and Conservation is seeking public comments on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a document that describes the project and provides an overview of the potential environmental effects of all phases of the project. To facilitate public participation, the EIS is available on the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation website at: www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/env_assessment/projects/Y2013/1711/index.html (Registration 1711).
Written comments must be received by September 29, 2014. Please send to:
Ivy Stone, Project EA Chair
Wabush 3 Open Pit Mine Project
Department of Environment and Conservation
Fourth Floor, West Block Confederation Building
PO Box 8700
St. John’s NL A1B 4J6
Tel.:709-729-0090
Fax: 709-729-5518
EAProjectComments@gov.nl.ca
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:| Deborah Thomas Director of Communications Department of Environment and Conservation 709-729-2575, 728-8092 deborahthomas@gov.nl.ca |
2014 08 08 11:25 a.m.