Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 15/99) - Diavik can't operate a diamond mine until the NWT Water Board is convinced the water they take from the environment will be put back in the same condition.

Ten intervenors present concerns The NWT Water Board was formed to provide for the conservation, development and utilization of water resources in the Northwest Territories. New mines, such as Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., must apply to the board for a water licence to operate. A water board hearing is designed to ensure all public concerns regarding a proposed new project, or existing project, are heard before a licence is approved or renewed. Formal interventions are submitted to the board as part of the public process, and presentations are made at a hearing by the intervenors and members of the public. The NWT Water Board Hearing regarding Diavik's water licence application was held at the Explorer Hotel Dec. 13-15, where 10 intervenors presented their concerns and raised questions. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development had the most varied field of experts on their panel at the hearing. They questioned all aspects of Diavik's licence application, from requesting a more detailed mine plan to the cost of abandonment and reclamation. The Diavik mine will be located on Lac de Gras. The Kitikmeot Inuit Association are intervening with questions about the potential long-term effects of upstream mining development on the Coppermine River and watershed. The Dene Nation raised issues in their intervention about Diavik's proposed lake monitoring program and airstrip runoff monitoring. The Yellowknives Dene are concerned about heavy metal concentrations in the fish of Lac de Gras, dike stability on the tailings pond, and storage of country rock. Other intervenors include the Canadian Arctic Resource Committee (CARC), Environment Canada, the NWT Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Dogrib Treaty 11, and the Lutsel K'e Dene Band.

Diavik Diamond Mine lawyers, engineers, and environmental experts were drilled at a three-day water board hearing starting Monday at the Explorer Hotel regarding their proposed Lac de Gras diamond mine.

"This process is an opportunity for the public to come forward and test Diavik on its proposals," said Diavik public affairs manager, Tom Hoefer.

"The outcome will be the approval of a water licence that is technically feasible, reasonable, and that protects the environment."

Interventions were submitted to the water board by several organizations including the Dene Nation, Canadian Arctic Resources Committee (CARC), Dogrib Treaty 11, and the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND).

The interventions raised concerns about such things as aquatic effects on the lake, groundwater and seepage monitoring, and tailings pond integrity.

Diavik vice-president of Environmental Affairs, Murray Swyripa, said the level of detail in the interventions is what they've come to expect.

"In general, the input has been positive and constructive," said Swyripa.

"There are things that we have to consider and re-examine, but in general the level of detail (in the interventions) is consistent with the level of review we've had throughout the process.

"At the end of the day, the water board is responsible to make the final decision," he added.

During Diavik's presentation to the packed conference room, they outlined their three-year construction plan.

In 2000, they will build a Northern camp that will house 400. They also plan to place 23 diesel storage tanks on site and will build an airstrip capable of handling Boeing 737s and Hercules transport aircraft.

In 2001, construction will begin on the diamond processing plant, power generation stations, water filtration plants and permanent accommodations will be built for 500 more people.

By 2002, they hope to have the diamond processing plant completed, three dikes built, and will remove the lake bed sediment to allow open pit mining to begin by June 2003.

The total estimated amount of water they'll use to get through the construction phase is almost 26 million cubic metres. The estimated yearly total of water needed to operate the mine is 1.3 million cubic metres.

DIAND had rows of experts from many different fields on hand to pick apart Diavik's water licence application. They took up almost all of the first day with their technical questions, which were designed to ensure the public's interests will be met before the licence is approved.

One request of DIAND's is that Diavik put up a $187-million security bond to be used for environmental reclamation once the mine reaches the end of its life cycle.

Diavik estimated they would need a reclamation deposit of $68 million, and seemed surprised by the government's request for $119 million more than that.

"I think what we're proposing ($68 million) is the highest level of security of any Northern mine," said Hoefer.

"I think we have to debate where the differences lie. Clearly, (DIAND) is not taking into account that we'll be doing reclamation work as we mine, which will spread the cost of reclamation over the mine's entire operational life."

NWT Water Board chairman Gordon Wray said their decision on whether to approve the licence will be made after they've taken into account the information presented at the public hearing.

"Normally after a hearing it takes us about a month to make our decision," said Wray.

"A lot of work has been done on this water licence. It's detailed and complicated, but when it's all done, it will be complete."