Project Overview
Type of application: New
Proponent name: |
Matthew Pickard |
Company: |
Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. |
Schedule:
Start Date: |
2024-01-01 |
End Date: |
2035-12-12 |
Operation Type: |
Annual |
Project Description:
Sabina commenced the Environmental Assessment of the Project in June 2012 with the submission of a Project Proposal to the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB). Sabina received the Project Certificate (PC No. 007) for the Project from the NIRB in December 2017, and the Project’s Type A Water Licence (2AM-BRP1831) from the Nunavut Water Board (NWB) in November 2018.
Since receipt of the NIRB Project Certificate in 2015 and the NWB Type A Water Licence in 2018, Sabina has continued to advance Detailed Engineering and additional field work related to Construction, Operations, and Closure of the Project. Through these efforts, Sabina has identified modifications that will further optimize and de-risk the Project. These Modifications are:
Section 2. Goose Property
Section 2.1. Goose Property Airstrip Extension
Section 2.3. Umwelt Underground Extension
Section 2.2. Goose Property Total Water Use Increase
Section 3. Goose Property Waste and Water Management
Section 3.1. Waste and Water Management Infrastructure
Section 4. Marine Laydown Area (MLA)
Section 4.1. MLA Fuel Transfer Area
Section 4.2. MLA Airstrip Extension
Section 5. Marine Laydown Area – Shoreline Pad Extension
Section 5.1. MLA Shoreline Pad Extension
Section 6. Winter Ice Road (WIR)
Section 6.1. WIR Subbase Upgrade
Section 6.2. WIR Service/Emergency Camps
Section 6.3. WIR Total Water Use Increase
Sabina assessed each proposed Project modification with respect to Project regulatory precedence, community engagement and traditional knowledge, key management and mitigation measures, as well as modification-specific effects assessments. The Modification Package effects assessment was guided by the same approach used for the Back River Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS; Sabina 2015) and FEIS Addendum (Sabina 2017b). Sabina has also included discussions in this Application related to the Modification Package cumulative effects, Sabina’s Self-Assessment guided by the NIRB Modification Guideline (NIRB 2018), and key compliance considerations for this Application.
Results from the Modification Package effects assessment identified minimal change to the FEIS residual effects, and no change to the overall significance ratings for the FEIS residual effects. Sabina has therefore determined the Modification Package will result in no significant changes to the overall environmental or socio-economic effects previously predicted for the Project.
Sabina reviewed each proposed Project modification against the NIRB Modification Guideline (NIRB 2018), and it is Sabina's view is that these proposed Project modifications are considered minor in the overall scope of the original Environmental Assessment, and that cumulatively, this Modification Package Application be considered a “Non-Significant” amendment to the Project, with screening not required.
Personnel:
Project Map
List of all project geometries:
ID |
Geometry |
Location Name |
6378 |
point |
NW Project Extent |
6386 |
point |
SE Project Extent |
6387 |
point |
SW Project Extent |
6389 |
point |
New project geometry |
6390 |
polygon |
BR_Permit_Area |
Planning Regions:
Qikiqtani
Affected Areas and Land Types
Inuit Owned Surface Lands
Settlement Area
Project Land Use and Authorizations
Project Land Use
Mine Development
Mine Development
Licensing Agencies
NIRB: Screening Decision Report
NWB: Type A Licence
INAC: Surface Leases/Licences
INAC: Surface Leases/Licences
KitIA: Commercial Lease I
KitIA: Commercial Lease I
KitIA: Commercial Lease I
Other Licensing Requirements
No data found.
Material Use
Equipment
Type |
Quantity |
Size |
Use |
All |
All |
All |
Section 2.7.9 of the Back River Project Project Description submitted to the NIRB (Sabina 2012) details the fleet of Construction and Mine equipment necessary at the Project. |
Fuel Use
Type |
Container(s) |
Capacity |
UOM |
Use |
Diesel |
8 |
10000000 |
Liters |
Up to 60 M litres annually |
Hazardous Material and Chemical Use
Type |
Container(s) |
Capacity |
UOM |
Use |
Ammonium Nitrate |
521 |
1 |
Cubic Meters |
Blasting |
Cyanide |
653 |
251 |
Liters |
Additions to the process plant to extract gold from host rock |
Water Consumption
Daily Amount (m3) |
Retrieval Method |
Retrieval Location |
1879 |
Water Intake |
Goose Lake, Big Lake, Winter Ice Road Lakes |
Waste and Impacts
Environmental Impacts
Results from the Modification Package effects assessment identified minimal change to the FEIS residual effects, and no change to the overall significance ratings for the FEIS residual effects. As a result, Sabina confirms that the overall effect of the Project on the atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and human environments remains the same as the FEIS effects assessment: Not Significant.
Waste Management
Waste Type |
Quantity Generated |
Treatement Method |
Disposal Method |
Greywater |
175 litres/person/day |
N/A |
Treatment Plant |
Sewage (human waste) |
Goose: 62,050 m3/yr |
N/A |
Treatment Plant |
Overburden (organic soil, waste material, tailings) |
5.3 million tonnes |
N/A |
Placement in Waste Rock Storage Areas |
Category:
|
Imported geometry - proect geometry |
Recieved:
|
2020-06-08 |
Originator:
|
Matthew Pickard |
Public Registry ID:
|
17835 |
Document Size:
|
1.32 Kb |
Category:
|
Application form attachment - Project description |
Recieved:
|
2020-06-05 |
Originator:
|
Matthew Pickard |
Public Registry ID:
|
17834 |
Document Size:
|
15246.74 Kb |
Category:
|
Application related document - Conformity Determination Letter |
Recieved:
|
2020-06-09 |
Originator:
|
Peter Scholz |
Public Registry ID:
|
17837 |
Document Size:
|
279.83 Kb |
2020-06-05 19:57:09, from: Matthew Pickard
Hi Peter,
Please find attached Sabina's Back River Project 2020 Modification Package.
I was having some issues with LUPIT so reach out at any point if you need additional information! I did my best to include everything you and my boss (Matthew Pickard) discussed.
Thanks,
Merle
Merle Keefe, EIT
Manager, Environmental Permitting
Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.
Office: (604) 998-4190
Mobile: (604) 240-6619
Email: mkeefe@sabinagoldsilver.com
2020-06-05 20:06:02, from: Peter Scholz
Good evening. Can you please explain the 4 dots on the map? Is it 4 projects?
2020-06-06 17:45:48, from: Matthew Pickard
The 4 dots illustrate the outermost extents of the Back River Project Area (4 corners – NE, NW, SE, SW). I have updated the NPC Application online to reflect this (see below screenshot). The coordinates are as per Sabina’s Type A Water Licence.
Please let me know if this addresses your question or need additional information.
Thanks,
Merle
2020-06-07 08:47:51, from: Peter Scholz
Hi can you try adding a rectangular polygon instead of 4 dots?
2020-06-07 14:53:59, from: Matthew Pickard
Good Morning Peter. I have logged into LUPIT this morning but I do not seem to have the option to add a polygon under the Project Map tab. I'm not sure why - the option was there yesterday, but not today. I have tried restarting my computer but that did not help. I can keep trying throughout the day. Let me know if you have any other suggestions!