The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, has announced the following relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.
UNDERTAKING REGISTERED:
Strange Lake Rare Earth Mining Project (Reg. 2272)
Proponent: Torngat Metals Ltd.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Nunatsiavut Government (the three Authorities) are each required to conduct an environmental assessment of the above noted project. The three Authorities are working together to avoid duplication in the environmental assessment, and each Authority will make a decision on the undertaking.
The Proponent is proposing the construction, operation and closure of an open-pit rare earth mine, located in Quebec, approximately 235 kilometers northeast of Schefferville. The proponent plans to build a 160-kilometre seasonal road from the mine site in Quebec to an existing port at Vale’s nickel-copper mine in Anaktalak Bay on the northeast coast of Labrador, with approximately 140 kilometres of the road to be located in northern Labrador. The ore concentrate would be transported by road from the mine site to a new container storage and handling facility at Vale’s port, and then by ship to a rare earth processing and separation plant to be built in an existing industrial port in Sept-Îles, Quebec.
A further description of the undertaking can be found on the department’s webpage at www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/env-assessment/projects-list/.
Comments on the undertaking can be submitted to strangelake@iaac-aeic.gc.ca or to the “Submit a Comment” function available on the Strange Lake Rare Earth Mining Project page of the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations. Users of this function must agree to the Terms of Use for online submissions, available at: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/participation/conditions?culture=en-CA
Please note: comments and other documents submitted during this public comment period will posted on the Impact Assessment Registry Internet site. For submissions that are not submitted directly to the Registry (such as comments and documents provided by e-mail), the Agency will remove certain information, such as home address, telephone number, e-mail address and signature, before posting them to the Registry.
Comments received during the comment period will be shared among the three Authorities.
The undertaking was registered on October 5, 2023; the deadline for public comment is December 4, 2023; and the minister’s decision is due by December 14, 2023.
ENVIRONMENTAL PREVIEW REPORT GUIDELINES ISSUED:
Badger Sand and Gravel Quarry (Reg. 2247)
Proponent: Exploits Welding and Machine Shop Limited
The minister has approved the final guidelines for the preparation of the environmental preview report (EPR) for the Badger Sand and Gravel Quarry. The EPR guidelines identify the information that the Proponent is required to include in the EPR. The EPR guidelines document is available on the department’s project web page at: www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/projects/project-2247/.
Learn more
Environmental Assessment Division
Department of Environment and Climate Change
West Block, Confederation Building
P.O. Box 8700, St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6
Environmental assessment information is available at:
www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/env-assessment/
www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/files/GUIDE-TO-THE-PROCESS_September-2023.pdf
Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL and @ECC_GovNL
Project comments may be forwarded to: EAprojectcomments@gov.nl.ca
Anyone submitting comments on a project under environmental assessment is asked to please advise the Department if they DO NOT wish to have their comments shared with the Project Proponent.