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New mine close to full approval Federal government to review Gahcho Kue report
Lyndsay Herman
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 24, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine took another step towards becoming a reality when the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board gave its approval last Friday.
Alan Ehrlich, left, manager of the Gahcho Kue Environmental Impact Review Panel, accepts the environmental impact statement for Gahcho Kue from Paul Cobban, permitting manager for De Beers Canada, in 2011. Two years later, the project has been approved by the panel, pending certain measures intended to minimize environmental impacts. - photo courtesy of De Beers Canada |
The approval comes in the form of a report, which the review board is required to send to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AANDC), and comes with the condition that the project be subjected to certain measures to minimize its environmental impacts.
The minister of AANDC will now decide whether to approve the review board's recommendations to various degrees.
"This represents an important step forward for the proposed new diamond mine," stated Glen Koropchuck, chief operating officer of De Beers Canada, in a news release.
"We are reviewing the report to better understand the implications of the measures and follow-up programs, recommended by (the review board). We look forward to proceeding to the next stages in the regulatory approval process."
De Beers owns 51 per cent of Gahcho Kue, located 280 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, with its joint venture partner Mountain Province Diamonds owning the remaining 49 per cent.
De Beers declined an interview until the Gahcho Kue project team had time to review the report in detail.
Barren ground caribou were identified as being at particular risk by the review board's panel, who composed the report. However, the panel stated "De Beers' assessment approach is, in general, conceptually sound" and the potential impacts could be avoided by following specific measures recommended in the report.
"The Gahcho Kue Panel recommends ... that this development be allowed to proceed subject to implementation of the measures and follow-up programs described in this report which are necessary to prevent potentially significant adverse impacts on the environment," stated the review board in a letter to AANDC Minister Bernard Valcourt.
Gahcho Kue, with an expected mine life of 11 years, would be the NWT's fourth diamond mine and De Beers' second in the territory.
Measures recommended for Gahcho Kue approval
First measure
De Beers must minimize impacts to caribou and the area around the mine site as much as possible.
De Beers must develop a caribou protection plan prior to construction.
Governments, land managers, and regulators must include conditions for habitat protection in the Land Use Permit and any land tenures for the project.
Second measure
De Beers must construct and operate a winter access road in a way that minimizes its effect as a partial barrier to caribou movements and migration, as well as monitor caribou to determine possible effects.
Third measure
De Beers must monitor project specific effects and report to the GNWT and public on how the effects contribute to cumulative effects for the duration of the project.
The GNWT and AANDC must develop and implement a framework which links project monitoring and mitigation to cumulative effects monitoring and mitigation.
Both parties are also required to report annually and publicly on the development, implementation, and results of the framework.
- Source: Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board
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