The Committee on Environmental and Social Impact Review (COMEX) is a bipartisan body tasked with reviewing development projects in the James Bay area south of the 55th parallel. Before proceeding with a mining project, the proponent must obtain various authorizations in addition to the authorization certificate issued under section 164 of the EQA. For example, the proponent of a mining project provided by the Regulation respecting industrial pollution certifications must apply to the MDDELCC for a pollution certification within 30 days after the start of mining operations.
According to Article 232.2 of the law, the project proponent must submit a rehabilitation and restoration plan before mining activities begin. Since 2014, the obligation to restore has been defined in the certificate of registration of the request. Several proponents of mining projects south of the 55th parallel have signed impact and benefit agreements (IBAs) with Cree communities and the Cree Nation Government.
The Whabouchi Project
- Purpose of the Project
- General Description of the Project and its Components
- Ore extraction and processing
- Waste rock and tailings pile and overburden pile
- Mine water
- Drinking water and domestic wastewater
- Other infrastructures on the mine site
- Borrow pits
- Support Infrastructure
- Housing for workers
- Access roads and transshipment routes
- Power supply
- Waste management
- Chinuchi Agreement
In addition, the Agreement on a New Relationship between le Gouvernement du Québec and the Crees of Québec, the so-called Paix des Braves, “encourages agreements between promoters and the Crees concerning rehabilitation works, employment and contracts relating to future mining activities in the area, including exploration .” Similarly, one of the cornerstones of the Cree Nation Mining Policy is 'mining and sustainable practices', that is, 'the Crees believe that mining activities should be conducted in a manner compatible with sustainable development, and that existing governance instruments should be adapted, such as social and economic agreements, and environmental assessment and remediation processes should guide all forms and phases of mining activities.” Annual preventive maintenance of the concentrator will be performed during the second week of downtime. Runoff from these areas will be collected in ditches constructed around the periphery of the facilities.
To minimize the visual impact of the pipeline, it will be buried from approximately 100 meters from the coastline. Basins are dug at the bottom of the pit to collect groundwater and runoff. CCDC will be responsible for the expansion of the camp and for the operation of the camp and its services.
Public Consultation
- Public Hearing in Nemaska
- Public Hearing in Chibougamau
- Submissions During the Public Consultations
- Summary of Concerns Expressed During the Public Consultations
- Economic benefits
- Working conditions
- Land use and traditional pursuits
- Water quality
- Land-user health and air quality
- Safety and emergency plan
- Cumulative and psychosocial impacts
If the Rupert River water is affected, I fear it will affect the quality and taste of the water that land users drink, as well as the fish and animals that eat them. During the consultations, the issue of the proximity of the mine to the Nemaska, Bible Camp and Cree communities was repeatedly raised. Stakeholders are concerned about the effects of the project on the health of land users and wildlife habitats.
I am concerned about the safety of land users who spend most of their time at their camps which happen to be close to the Route du Nord. Questions were also raised about the load-bearing capacity of bridges and structures, signs, and monitoring and maintenance of the Route du Nord. Concerns were also expressed about the visual impact of the mine from Lac des Montagnes and the Route du Nord.
Social and Environmental Assessment
Chinuchi Agreement
Review of Project Alternatives
- Characterization of tailings
- Selected site for tailings accumulation areas
- Tailings management
- Mine water treatment
Identification and Analysis of Social and Environmental Issues
- Training and employment
- Working conditions
- Economic spinoffs
- Water quality
- Fish and fish habitat
- Hunting, fishing and trapping
- Air quality
- Noise levels
- Safety on the Route du Nord and forest roads
- Mine closure and site restoration
Other Considerations
- Cumulative impacts
- Emergency measures plan
- Bats
- Wetlands
- Invasive exotic species
- Residual materials
Site plan of mining infrastructures
Mining will be conducted 24 hours/day, 350 days/year (15-day suspension of activities in the spring for the Goose Break). Crushed ore will be stored in an 1810 silo located halfway between the crusher and the concentrator. The ore will be temporarily stored in a pad and then ground and crushed using three crushers.
The concentration process will require various chemical products, which will be stored in the concentrator building. Ore, tailings and waste rock will be driven by 46-ton trucks from the pit to the concentrator or waste and tailings pile. The fine tailings will be filtered before being mixed with the coarse tailings and hauled to the waste rock and tailings pile.
Site plan of ditches, berms and ponds
The cleaning process will be a basic system that will remove suspended matter and include a UV system. Domestic waste water (sewage) will be produced in the sanitary facilities of the administrative and technical buildings, the garage and the concentrator. These buildings will be located along the access road to the mine, near the Route du Nord.
The maintenance garage and spare parts warehouse will be located next to the administrative and technical services buildings and the employee parking area. The garage will be used to carry out maintenance of mining equipment, heavy machinery and light vehicles. The parts warehouse adjacent to the garage will be designed to maximize storage space for parts and tools.
Access roads and transshipment routes
However, some participants felt that members of the Cree community should have access to the jobs created during the construction and operation phases of the project. At times, community members were critical of the project's real impact on employment and hunting, fishing and trapping sites. During the public hearings, concerns were raised about the location of the pile of waste rock and waste.
Of particular concern was the risk of dyke failure or collapse and the visual impact of the piles. The proponent must provide details of the features and treatment levels of the proposed wastewater treatment system before mining begins. The future mine will be located in the center of the study area, which is approximately 314 km2 in size.
Project study area
Condition: Three months before construction begins, the proponent must submit the mandate and composition of the Environmental Committee and the Implementation Committee established in terms of the Chinuchi Agreement to the Administrator for information purposes. This 1375-ha lake is the largest body of water in the vicinity of the mine site. The proponent later told us that the location of the final outflow point could be changed.
COMEX therefore asked the proponent to conduct another sediment characterization before mine construction begins. Furthermore, the petitioner has committed to monitor the lowering of the groundwater level due to the presence of the well. Condition: The proponent's ecological and social monitoring program must include monitoring the integrity of the natural walleye spawning ground in Lac des Montagnes, at the mouth of Stream D.
Furthermore, the proponent has not provided atmospheric modeling results demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed mitigation measures. Condition: Eight months after the project's authorization, the proponent must submit to the Administrator, for approval, the results of further atmospheric modeling that demonstrates the effectiveness of each of the mitigation measures referred to in the Environmental and Social Impact Study. The Route du Nord offers direct access to Lac des Montagnes, southwest of the trap.
Condition: One year after the approval of the project, the initiator must submit the conditions for relocating camps after the construction of the mine to the administrator for information. In addition, the petitioner has established two committees that will be involved in the project at all levels. Condition: If during the monitoring of the Lac du Spodumène peatland a negative impact of the construction and operation of the project is identified, the applicant must submit additional compensation measures specific to this wetland to the manager for approval.
Condition: The comprehensive environmental and social monitoring program that the proponent must submit to the Administrator for approval must include monitoring of the hydrologic, ecological, and habitat functions of the Lac du Spodumène peatland and adjacent scrub marsh. The results of the feasibility study must be submitted to the Administrator for informational purposes six months after project authorization. This recommendation is conditional upon the fulfillment of the commitments made by the proposer (Appendix I) and the conditions listed in this report.
Summary Table of Nemaska Lithium’s commitments in respect of the Whabouchi
Simon Thibault, de Roche Ltée, Groupe Conseil, à Mme Christyne Tremblay, administratrice provinciale de la Convention de la Baie James et du Nord québécois et sous-ministre du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, en date du 27 février 2015, concernant un addenda – Projet Whabouchi, Étude d'impact sur l'environnement et le milieu social, 1ère annexe.
Environmental discharge objectives for the Whabouchi Mining Project
Cette dernière récupérera l’eau déshydratée et s’écoulera de la fosse (Nemaska Lithium, 2014b). L'exutoire de ce bassin constituera l'effluent final, dont le point de rejet projeté sera au lac des Montagnes, près de l'embouchure de la rivière Nemiscau (Nemaska Lithium, 2014b). Le débit final prévu est estimé sur une base annuelle et est fonction de l'évolution de la halde à stériles et résidus miniers et de la fosse.
Le phosphore a également été préservé en fonction de la sensibilité du milieu récepteur (lac oligo-mésotrophe) et de la minéralisation du gisement. Les données conservées proviennent de la caractérisation des eaux de surface réalisée par le promoteur au lac des Montagnes en juin, juillet et octobre 2014 (NemaskaLithium, 2014c). Des informations sur la comparaison de la qualité des rejets avec les REL peuvent être trouvées dans les Lignes directrices pour l'application des objectifs environnementaux de rejets industriels au milieu aquatique (MDDEP, 2008).
CPC(O) : Critère de prévention de la contamination des organismes aquatiques. VAFe : Effet aigu dans les effluents. Celle-ci a été estimée à 1,3 mg/l à partir de la moyenne des concentrations mesurées lors de la caractérisation des eaux de surface réalisée au Lac des Montagnes en juin, juillet et octobre 2014 (Nemaska Lithium, 2014c) aux stations ST-7S et ST-11S en surface. eaux du lac des Montagnes (Nemaska Lithium, 2014c). Concentration moyenne issue de la caractérisation des eaux de surface réalisée au Lac des Montagnes en juin, juillet et octobre 2014 (NemaskaLithium, 2014c) aux stations ST-7S et ST-11S.
Le critère nitrite est calculé pour un milieu récepteur dont la concentration médiane en chlorure est de 0,25 mg/L, selon les données de la caractérisation des eaux de surface réalisée au lac des Montagnes en juin, juillet et octobre 2014 (Nemaska Lithium, 2014c). . aux stations ST-7S et ST-11S. Concentration médiane de métaux traces mesurée lors de la caractérisation des eaux de surface réalisée au Lac des Montagnes en juin, juillet et octobre 2014 (Nemaska Lithium, 2014c) aux stations ST-7S et ST-11S. Le milieu récepteur présente une dureté moyenne de 5,58 mg/L CaCO3 selon les données de la caractérisation des eaux de surface réalisée au Lac des Montagnes en juin, juillet et octobre 2014 (Nemaska Lithium, 2014c) aux stations ST. et ST-11S.
Prédire la qualité des eaux usées - Projet Whabouchi – Étude d'impact sur le milieu social, Nemaska Lithium, Réf.
