The Nunavut Impact Review Board recommended that the extension of Phase 2 of Baffinland not be allowed to continue.
In a letter to Dan Vandal, the Federal Minister for Northern Affairs, Kavik Kalurak, chairman of the Nunavut Impact Review Board, said the mine had the potential for “significant adverse ecosystem effects” on marine mammals, fish, caribou and other wildlife. in turn can harm the Inuit. culture, land use and food security.
Kalurak’s letter also points to the potential for “transboundary impacts on marine mammals and fish and the marine environment outside the Nunavut area”.
Finally, she noted that these effects “cannot be adequately prevented, mitigated or adaptively managed”, even with the certified proposed revisions of the project that the board has already issued to Baffinland.
The long-awaited recommendation was released on Friday after a four-year review process that pitted economic development against environmental protection and the sustainability of traditional hunting. The full report is 441 pages.
Baffinland, the Kikiktani Inuit Association and the Nunavut government declined to be interviewed until they could review the report.
In a press release, Baffinland CEO Brian Penny said the company was disappointed with the decision.
“Our Phase 2 proposal is based on years of in-depth research and detailed scientific analysis and has significant local support based on years of consultation with Inuit and local communities,” Penny said.
“We will ask the federal government to review all evidence and contributions and approve the Phase 2 application on fair and reasonable terms.
The decision ultimately depends on Vandal, who previously said he would make a decision within 90 days of the NIRB’s recommendation.
In 2016, when the same council recommended not allowing a gold mine in the Kitikmeot area of Nunavut, then-Federal Minister Carolyn Bennett rejected the recommendation, asking the NIRB to give the project a second chance.
This mine was approved the following year.
The Mary River Mine has been operating on the northern island of Baffin since 2015 and is currently allowed to mine and transport up to six million tonnes of ore a year.
Baffinland has sought to double the supply of iron ore from the port of Milne Inlet to 12 million tonnes a year and to build a 110-kilometer railway line to the port.
WATCH The Inuit on Baffin Island could decide the fate of the far northern iron ore mine:
Baffin Inuit could decide fate of far northern iron ore mine
The Canadian mining company Baffinland, which struck a deal with the Inuit to mine iron ore in 2014, now wants to double its production and even build a railway line through traditional hunting grounds. For many Inuit there, this idea contrasts jobs with environmental concerns.
Baffinland has also made countless promises to nearby communities regarding the enlargement process, including jobs, money, environmental monitoring programs, boats, kindergartens, training centers and more.
The company is also committed to a gradual increase in shipping for four years after the approval of Phase 2 and a ban on the use of heavy fuel for seven years before being banned in the Arctic of Canada.
Many of the commitments are tied to a $ 1 billion Inuit security agreement signed by Baffinland with the Kikiktani Inuit Association in 2020, depending on the enlargement process.
However, the QIA chose not to support enlargement, citing a lack of trust among communities and uncertainty as to whether the new proposed mitigation measures would actually work with more mining.
Too many uncertainties remain
In a press release, NIRB further explained some of the reasons why it chose to reject the proposal in the longest and most comprehensive review to date.
In particular, the board said that “despite the best efforts of all parties, the board was not confident that the proposed measures would limit or prevent these negative effects.”
In addition to financial commitments, Baffinland has promised many mitigation measures to address concerns raised during public hearings, most of which are related to the environment.
I will take the time to review the report with federal officials. The decision will be taken after appropriate due diligence and thorough analysis, including whether or not the consultation obligation has been met.
– @ stbstvdan
“The Governing Council concluded that the proposal, as assessed, could not be implemented in a way that would protect the ecosystem integrity of Nunavut and that would protect and promote the existing and future well-being of the residents and communities of Nunavut and Canada as a whole.” says in a statement to the NIRB.
The board also listed six areas of uncertainty that were raised during the public hearings, including whether Baffinland accurately conveyed the effects of the current operation on what communities were actually experiencing.
The NIRB cites testimony from Inuit and community-based organizations who believe that “Baffinland and the regulatory agencies” have not considered and applied Inuit knowledge and experience meaningfully to address this uncertainty. “
The board also heard how there were gaps between what the Inuit felt about the effects of the mine, and how Baffinland responded to those concerns, if any.
In particular, the board pointed to the problem of dust scattered around the mine and the port of Milne Inlet, as well as changes in the populations of narwhals and seals on shipping routes after the discovery of the mine.
“The Inuit knowledge shared with the Pond Inlet knowledge holders shows that these effects change their ability / desire to camp, fish, hunt and pick berries in areas affected by red dust, and also change the weather, the location and levels of effort needed to harvest narwhals and seals, “the news release said.
“Communities have pointed out that such changes threaten food security and create cultural losses for which communities cannot be compensated. Citing community concerns about these potential negative effects, Inuit organizations and most community interventionists did not support the proposal. “
The issue of iron dust levels around Baffinland and the port of Milne Inlet is a recurring concern raised by Inuit. During a trip in February 2021, CBC News took to Milne Inlet, the dust was so widespread that it formed red ice pendants at the base of snowmobiles. Baffinland has tried to limit dust levels in the port and promised additional measures to reduce dust under the Inuit Security Agreement. (Nick Murray / CBC News)
Economic impacts
In a news release, the board also acknowledged the loss of economic benefits that Phase 2 would promise, including $ 2.4 billion in remuneration, as well as the potential for the mine’s future to be threatened without enlargement.
“Many residents of the affected communities also expressed the view that the potential positive socio-economic benefits of the proposal focus on the financial benefits, while the negative socio-economic effects focus on the effects on land use, harvest, culture and food security that cannot to be compensated with money “, said NIRB.
“Due to several factors, including education, training, the labor market and demography, some of which are beyond the control of the initiator, uncertainty remains as to whether the full scope of the proposed benefits can be provided and questions remain about Inuit contracts and Inuit employment.” which can be provided by Phase 2. “
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