Voisey`s Bay Project

Voisey’s Bay Project
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PDAC Convention, Toronto, March 2003
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Voisey’s Bay Environmental
Assessment Challenges and
Successes
Les Hulett and Earl Dwyer
March 2003
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Inco Limited and
Voisey’s Bay Nickel
Company wish to
acknowledge the contribution to this
presentation, and the 2002 site environmental
monitoring activities made by:
Ernie Ford, Donald Lamp and Corey Cooney,
Labrador Inuit Association
Don Blake and Ray Rich, Innu Nation
Perry Blanchard and Lela Evans, VBNC
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VOISEY’S
VOISEY’S BAY
BAY -- GENERAL
GENERAL SITE
SITE PLAN
PLAN
Anaktalak
Anaktalak
Bay
Bay
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CONSTRUCTIONTION
CONSTRUCTIONTION
CAMP
CAMP
Anaktalak
Anaktalak
PORT
Bay
PORT
CONCENTRATE
STORAGEBay
CONCENTRATE STORAGE
FUEL STORAGE
FUEL STORAGE
Port Access Road
Port Access Road
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
CAMP
CAMP
MILL COMPLEX
MILL COMPLEX
CAMP
CAMP
POND
POND
Airstrip/Waste Rock
Airstrip/Waste Rock
Haul Road
Haul Road
OPEN PIT
OPEN PIT
HEADWATER POND
HEADWATER POND
TAILINGS AREA
TAILINGS AREA
LEGEND
LEGEND
ROADS
ROADS
Voisey’s
PIPE LINES
Voisey’s
PIPE LINES
Bay
Bay
OPEN PIT
OPEN PIT
OVER-BURDEN STORAGE
OVER-BURDEN STORAGE
NON-ACID GENERATING WASTE ROCK STORAGE
NON-ACID GENERATING WASTE ROCK STORAGE
PEAT STORAGE
PEAT STORAGE
WATER MANAGEMENT POND
WATER MANAGEMENT POND
AIRSTRIP
AIRSTRIP
Voisey’s
Voisey’s Bay
Bay Mine
Mine &
& Concentrator
Concentrator Project
Project
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PORT
PORT –– ANAKTALAK
ANAKTALAK BAY
BAY
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Innu and Inuit Concerns
q Both
Innu and Inuit have unresolved
land claims that include Voisey’s Bay.
q Both aboriginal groups have historically
used area for travel, hunting, fishing and
gathering of country foods.
q Both Innu and Inuit have concerns for
the environment.
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Voisey’s Bay Environmental
Assessment
q Required
a four party MOU
Ø Federal government
Ø Provincial governmnet
Ø Innu Nation
Ø Labrador Inuit Association
q Four
Party MOU signed in January
1997 setting up EA process and
requiring Panel Hearings
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q No
EA – Aboriginal Issues
development to start before EA
process complete
q Land claims settled first
q Negotiated Impact and Benefit
Agreements (IBAs) in place
q Wanted traditional knowledge to be
considered in EA process
EA – Aboriginal Issues
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q No
development impacts on Reid Brook
and Voisey’s Bay
Ø Arctic charr
Ø Migratory birds (Gooselands)
q Landfast
Ice/Shipping interactions
Ø Travel
Ø Caribou and seals
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EA Panel Findings
Project could proceed without Land Claims
settlement, but required IBA resolution
q Shipping Agreement required
q Panel recommended establishment of
Environment Management Board
q
Ø Mechanism for four parties to monitor project and
advise governments on environmental actions,
project permitting
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Environmental Management
Board
q Mandate
to review all permit
applications, environmentally-related
plans
q EMB structure includes
Ø 8 member Board (2 from each party), plus
independent Chair
Ø Technical Environmental Review
Committee
Impact and Benefit Agreements
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q
Establish consultative environment boards
Ø Monitoring Partnership
Ø Environment and Reclamation Monitoring Board
Harvesting loss compensation
q Aboriginal historic resources
q Closure and Reclamation
q
Ø Progressive reclamation
Ø Financial assurance for reclamation
q
Monitoring of project for life of project
Ø Provision for aboriginal environmental monitors
on site at all times
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2002 Construction Season
q All
permit applications reviewed by
aboriginal groups, EMB
q Both Innu and Inuit had monitors on site
q Five EHS monitors on site at all times
Ø VBNC, SNC, IKCB, Innu Nation, Labrador
Inuit Association
q Monitors
worked cooperatively
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2002 Construction Season
q Initial
workshop before construction to
set up cooperative structure
q Daily site monitoring meetings to review
issues, plan next day’s activities
q Workshop at end of construction season
to review the season’s activities, note
successes, required refinements, plans
for 2003
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q
The Future
Ongoing discussions with all parties on
issues such as:
Ø Environmental protection planning
Ø Historic resources management
Ø Compliance and effects monitoring
Ø Rehabilitation and closure
q
Cooperative ventures in ecosystem studies
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Thank You