Goliath Gold Project
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Goliath Gold Project Draft Environmental Assessment Report June 2019 © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 2019. Catalogue No: EnXXX-XXX/XXXXF ISBN : XXX-X-XXX-XXXXX-X This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, and in any format, without charge or further permission. Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials, in whole or in part, for the purpose of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3 or [email protected]. This document has been issued in French under the title: Projet de mine d’or Goliath - Rapport provisiore d’évaluation environnementale Executive Summary Treasury Metals Inc. (the proponent) is proposing the construction, operation, decommissioning, and abandonment of an open-pit and underground gold mine and associated infrastructure. The Goliath Gold Project (the Project), located 20 kilometres east of the City of Dryden, Ontario, will have an ore production capacity of 5424 tonnes per day and an ore input capacity of 3240 tonnes per day with an anticipated mine and mill life of 12 years. Over the 12 years of operations, the average ore production and ore input capacity of the mine and mill would be 2700 tonnes per day. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) is carrying out an environmental assessment of the Project in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012). The Project is subject to CEAA 2012 because it involves activities described in the schedule to the Regulations Designating Physical Activities as follows: • item 16 (c) : the construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of a new rare earth element mine or gold mine, other than a placer mine, with an ore production capacity of 600 tonnes per day or more. This draft Environmental Assessment Report (this report) summarizes the assessment conducted by the Agency, including the information and analysis on the potential environmental effects of the Project, and the Agency's conclusions on whether the Project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, after taking into account the implementation of mitigation measures. The Agency prepared this report with expert advice from federal authorities—Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Health Canada. Furthermore, this report was informed by comments submitted throughout the environmental assessment process by Indigenous communities and the public. An individual environmental assessment has not been required by the province of Ontario. However, the following provincial ministries provided support upon request on areas within their expertise and within the scope of their regulatory roles: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; and Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. The Agency analyzed environmental effects on areas of federal jurisdiction in relation to section 5 of CEAA 2012, including: fish and fish habitat; migratory birds; current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by Aboriginal peoples; health and socio-economic conditions of Aboriginal peoples; physical and cultural heritage; and any structure, site or thing that is of historical, archaeological, paleontological or architectural significance for Aboriginal peoples. The Agency also assessed effects related to changes to the environment that are directly linked or necessarily incidental to federal decisions that may be required for the Project by Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Natural Resources Canada, including wetlands and Snapping Turtles. The assessment also considered transboundary effects, in relation to direct greenhouse gas emissions. This report outlines several Aboriginal or Treaty rights, including Métis rights, held by First Nations communities and Métis citizens that could be potentially affected by the Project, including hunting, trapping, fishing, plant harvesting, and the use of sites and areas of cultural importance for the exercise of rights. Draft Environmental Assessment Report – Goliath Gold Project iii The main residual environmental effects from the Project in relation to section 5 of CEAA 2012 are: • effects on fish and fish habitat from fish mortality and fish health, and the loss or alteration of fish habitat; • effects on migratory birds due to impacts on nests or critical habitat, risk of collisions with vehicles, and exposure to contaminants in project components with open water; • effects on the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by Indigenous people, including from loss or alteration of access for Indigenous use; • effects on the health of Indigenous peoples due to exposure to air and water contaminants by inhalation, ingestion, or dermal contact; and reduced ability to harvest subsistence and economic resources; and, • effects on wetlands and Snapping Turtles due to the loss of waterbodies or the alteration of surface water quantity and quality. In reviewing the environmental effects from the Project, the Agency considered factors, such as: • effects due to potential accidents or malfunctions, including in the case of a tailings storage facility dam failure; • effects on the Project due to extreme and periodic weather events, including drought, flooding, temperature fluctuations, forest fires, and seismic activity; and • cumulative effects from the Project, especially in consideration of the region’s history related to mercury contamination from the Domtar Dryden Pulp Mill, which affected both the English and Wabigoon River systems. The Agency has identified key mitigation and follow-up measures that would prevent or reduce potential adverse effects, verify the accuracy of the environmental assessment predictions, and verify the effectiveness of mitigation measures. The Agency, in selecting key mitigation and follow-up program measures, was informed by the proponent's commitments, expert advice from federal authorities and provincial ministries, and comments from Indigenous communities and the public. Key mitigation measures include implementing an offsetting plan for serious harm to fish; managing potentially acid generating materials, along with seepage from the tailings storage facility, waste rock storage area and low-grade ore stockpile during all phases of the Project; managing the discharge of effluent; carrying out project activities in a manner that protects and avoids harming, killing or disturbing migratory birds, nests, eggs or critical habitat; providing access to land to Indigenous communities to the extent that it is safe and protective of health; minimizing effects of changes in air quality, noise and the visual landscape, and the availability of land and fish-bearing waterbodies on traditional land and resource uses; protecting archaeological artifacts; and the implementation of a progressive rehabilitation plan. Key mitigation and follow-up program measures to address effects on Indigenous use, in accordance with section 5 of CEAA 2012, would also serve as accommodation of potential impacts on Aboriginal or Treaty rights. Measures include commitments by the proponent to establish an Environmental Management Committee with Indigenous communities. The Environmental Management Committee would provide Draft Environmental Assessment Report – Goliath Gold Project iv Indigenous communities with opportunities to provide up-to-date information about their use of the area and traditional knowledge throughout all phases of the Project, and inform the proponent's actions in meeting its obligations, both federal and provincial. The proponent is working with the Indigenous communities on agreements, which would serve as additional mechanisms for accommodating potential impacts. The Agency is of the view that the Project's potential impacts on Aboriginal or Treaty rights have been adequately identified and appropriately mitigated or accommodated for the purpose of decision- making under CEAA 2012. Public comments received followed the same areas of concerns as the comments received by Indigenous communities. The Agency concludes that the Project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, taking into account the implementation of key mitigation measures. These key measures will be considered by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (the Minister) in establishing conditions as part of the Decision Statement under CEAA 2012. Conditions accepted by the Minister would become legally binding on the proponent if the Minister ultimately issues a Decision Statement indicating that the Project may proceed. Draft Environmental Assessment Report – Goliath Gold Project v Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................vi List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................ix List of Figures .....................................................................................................................................