3 November 2020
Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation is pleased to announce that the Nunavut Impact Review Board has scheduled the public hearing for the Rail Expansion Development Proposal to recommence on January 25 and be completed by February 6, 2021.
NIRB highlighted the efforts undertaken by Baffinland since the adjournment of the Hearing in November, 2019 to engage directly with potentially affected communities to foster greater understanding of the Rail Expansion Development Proposal in a Pre-Hearing Conference Report dated October 30, 2020.
NIRB also noted the progress achieved by Baffinland and various parties to resolve a number of technical concerns regarding the Rail Expansion Development Proposal, including 188 specific commitments developed to address these concerns. The Pre-Hearing Conference Report states that, as of the publication of the report, the Government of Nunavut had no outstanding technical issues and the majority of technical issues raised by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (“QIA”) had been resolved. Baffinland remains focused on resolving any outstanding concerns and working closely with communities to ensure a fulsome understanding of the commitments made.
Since the adjournment of the Hearing, Baffinland has also worked with the QIA to provide greater certainty to Inuit in potentially affected communities that, should the Rail Expansion Development Proposal be approved, operations at Mary River will be managed in accordance with Inuit Societal Values and include expanded financial benefits for Inuit through the signing of an Inuit Certainty Agreement on June 16th, 2020. The agreement represents Baffinland’s reaffirmed commitment to the responsible development of the Mary River Project on Inuit Owned Lands and includes a number of commitments including: increased Inuit stewardship and monitoring programs; new and increased funding for community, employee, and environmental initiatives; and improvements to reporting on the commitments made.
The recommencement of the Hearing for the Rail Expansion Development Proposal follows the successful completion of a third Technical Meeting, Community Round Table, and Pre-Hearing Conference which all took place via in-person and virtual means during September and early October of 2020. Baffinland appreciates the efforts undertaken by the Nunavut Impact Review Board to adjust their processes to account for the unprecedented events and constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the health and safety of all participants while continuing their operations.
The Hearing will take place in-person at the primary location of Pond Inlet, with possible additional meeting hubs connected via virtual means. The precise details, dates, and locations will be confirmed by NIRB in a Notice of the reconvened Public Hearing. All meetings will take place following Nunavut Public Health Orders and NIRB reserves the right to alter the schedule, locations and modified processes for holding the Hearing as may be necessary to comply with applicable Public Health measures.
Baffinland thanks all intervenors and community representatives taking part in this review process and looks forward to the successful conclusion of the environmental assessment review process in early 2021.