KITIKMEOT
Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt has rejected the Kitikmeot Inuit Association's request for a second environmental review of Dominion Diamond's Ekati expansion.

Dominion Diamond's expansion project is 30 km southeast of the Ekati mine. - photo courtesy of Dominion Diamond

The Ekati expansion project is already under review by the NWT's Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, but the Inuit organization had asked the Nunavut Impact Review Board to do its own assessment of Dominion's Jay project due to concerns it could impact the Coppermine River, a sources of the community's drinking water and fish.

In its request for an additional review to be done by the Nunavut board on April 28, Kitikmeot Inuit Association president Stanley Anablak and Kugluktuk Mayor Ryan Nivingalok, note they are the only groups outside of the NWT to have a signed impact and benefit agreement with BHP-Billiton, the original owner and developer of Ekati.

"This is due to the irrefutable acknowledgement of the potential for impact on KIA and (Kugluktuk) due to historic and current land use and to the direction and flow of the Coppermine River," it said.

Anablak and Nivingalok also say that after the KIA's participation in the technical sessions in Yellowknife in April and internally-funded specialist reviews, the organization said it is out of resources to continue its participation. In addition, the letter states the organization was unable to get additional financial assistance from the Government of Canada to continue representing Inuit concerns and conduct an independent review of the Ekati expansion.

Without a review from the Nunavut board, the letter stated the KIA does not have enough resources to monitor all aspects of the Ekati project.

However, a July 13 letter from Valcourt said that he was confident the work of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board sufficiently considered the concerns of the aboriginal community.

Valcourt also cited the Mackenzie Valley board's commitment to holding a public meeting in Kugluktuk to directly hear the KIA's concerns.

Elliott Holland, Dominion's vice-president of projects and business development, called Valcourt's decision a vote of confidence in the "robust and thorough process" carried out by the NWT review board".

"It is also a reflection of the significant engagement on this project with the full range of stakeholders in both Nunavut and the Northwest Territories," Elliot said in the written statement. "Dominion looks forward to discussing the project further with the parties to the environmental assessment process at the upcoming public hearings, including the public session in Kugluktuk."

Mining Association of Canada president Pierre Gratton told Nunavut News/North it would not have been good if Valcourt had required two separate territorial environmental assessments.

"I think the idea of two virtually identical reviews seemed completely unwarranted," he said. "I think there's no question it would have sent a very negative signal to the industry."

Gratton echoed much of the same sentiments as Holland, calling the Mackenzie Valley board's process "very robust." He also stated he had full confidence the concerns of the Inuit would be heard.

If it had been approved, Gratton said it would have been bad for proponents, citizens and taxpayers, who would have had to pay for both reviews.

Calls to the Kitikmeot Inuit Association and the Hamlet of Kugluktuk were not returned by press time.

The Jay Pipe project has the potential to extend the life of the Ekati mine by 11 years and is 30 km southeast of Ekati.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.