SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Ekati mine's Jay Pipe expansion is one step closer to becoming a reality after the territorial government approved the latest set of environmental assessment recommendations.

An aerial photograph of the Ekati diamond mine outside Yellowknife, NWT. - photo courtesy of Dominion Diamond Corporation

In a news release issues last Thursday, lands minister Robert C. McLeod stated the government has accepted the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board's Report of Environmental Assessment recommendations, which were released in a report in February.

Last September, the Yellowknives Denes First Nation and the Independent Environmental Monitoring Agency (IEMA) expressed concerns the project may affect the already dwindling Bathurst Caribou population and the region's water quality.

In its report the Review Board said the project will cause significant environmental impacts but that those effects could be mitigated by following certain measures, such as improving the design and use of roads to minimize impact to caribou and funding an elders group to advise on the construction, operation and monitoring of the Jay road.

On Tuesday, the IEMA said the government's approval is a positive step forward. "The Agency is pleased that the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board's Report of Environmental Assessment took into consideration many of the Agency's recommendations and the GNWT Minster of Lands approved the report as submitted," said IEMA chairperson Jaida Ohokannoak. "We are looking forward to the watering licensing process to begin."

Located 30 kilometres from the Ekati mine infrastructure, the Dominion Diamond Corporation Jay pipe contains several kimberlite pipes with development potential. Dominion said the Jay project could extend mining at the Ekati mine another 10 to 11 years.

Dominion still needs water licenses and land use permits to begin construction.

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