25 October 2018
On October 12, 2018, Baffinland received a successful conformity determination from the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) for its Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS Addendum) for the Phase 2 expansion of the Mary River Mine. A copy of the full Phase 2 FEIS Addendum is available on the NIRB Public Registry. You can also review the Popular Summary of the application for Phase 2 here.
This is a critical step in the development of the Mary River Mine, as Baffinland looks to adopt a stepped-approach to expand the mine. The Phase 2 expansion focuses on the construction and operation of a 110-km railway from the Mary River Mine to Milne Port, and expanding production from six million tonnes per year to 12 million tonnes per year.
Coordinated NIRB-NWB Review Process
The NIRB’s acceptance of the FEIS Addendum has initiated the public technical review phase, which will include a set of technical meetings in Iqaluit March 12-15, 2019. These meetings will be jointly held with the Nunavut Water Board (NWB) as part of a partially coordinated review process to amend the Type A Water License. Following the technical review, a final review period will take place and conclude with a set of separate Public Hearings by the NIRB and NWB, and subsequent reports being issued to the Minister. Click here to learn more about the coordinated review process.