FORT SIMPSON - A new mining operation at Prairie Creek is one step closer to production.

Early this month Canadian Zinc submitted four applications for permits to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.

By using an underground backfill process for their tailings, Canadian Zinc says they'll be able to remediate the original tailings pond at Prairie Creek at the end of the mine's life. - photo courtesy of Canadian Zinc

The permits include a type A water licence and a type A land use permit that in conjunction with other sub-permits would allow the mine to start production.

"They have taken a long time to get here but we feel it's been time well spent," said Alan Taylor, the vice president of exploration, of the permits.

The mine is expected to create 220 new full-time jobs once it enters production, according to the company website. Based on a recently completed underground exploration and development program, the mine has enough resources to operate for 10 years. The proposed production rates would start at 600 tones per day and build to 1,200 tonnes. Available minerals include lead, zinc and silver. The current planned mine life is 14 years, Taylor said.

The company is also planning to make a number of upgrades to the mine site to mitigate the concerns raised by various groups about the mine.

When the mine was originally built, a tailings pond was constructed to hold waste tailings that would be left there after the mine closed. The pond is on the Prairie Creek flood plain and has been a large concern for communities and the company. Canadian Zinc plans to use an underground backfilling process. All of the finer grade tailings left over from the milling process will be combined with cement and be pumped into the underground spaces that have already been mined, said Taylor.

The original tailings pond will be converted to a two-celled water storage pond. The pond will contain water that comes from the mine and is used in the milling process. The water will then be put through a water treatment plant and a series of ponds before being released into the river system.

When the mine closes, the ponds could be reclaimed, said Taylor.

"We've put a lot of effort into environmental mitigation because we recognize the location we're in requires very stringent management," he said.

"It's at a great expense to the mine operations but we feel it's necessary to do this."

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) isn't convinced that Canadian Zinc can mitigate every potential environmental impact.

"We still have very strong concerns about a mine operating in a very ecologically sensitive area," said Jennifer Morin, the interim executive director with the NWT chapter of CPAWS.

Morin said CPAWS would like an environmental assessment of the highest level to be done on the permit applications. The organization questions whether the underground backfill process has been used and monitored in the North.

"We want to make sure that proven technology is considered in the assessment," said Morin.

The opening of the mine, however, could still be years away.

Based on their previous experiences, Taylor said the company expects the permitting process to take over a year.

Even if the permits are received, the company will still need to raise money to make the upgrades to the mine site.

"It will be in the tens of millions of dollars, there's no question," Taylor said.