REVIEW COMMITTEE (COMEX) Whabouchi Project Development and Operation of a Spodumene Deposit Nemaska Lithium Inc. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report July 2015 i TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................ iii List of Figures .............................................................................................................. iii List of Appendices ....................................................................................................... iii Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5 1. The Whabouchi Project ........................................................................................ 6 1.1 Purpose of the Project .......................................................................................................... 10 1.2 General Description of the Project and its Components ..................................................... 10 1.2.1 Ore extraction and processing .......................................................................................... 12 1.2.2 Waste rock and tailings pile and overburden pile ............................................................ 13 1.2.3 Mine water ........................................................................................................................ 13 1.2.4 Drinking water and domestic wastewater ......................................................................... 15 1.2.5 Other infrastructures on the mine site .............................................................................. 15 1.2.6 Borrow pits ....................................................................................................................... 15 1.3 Support Infrastructure .......................................................................................................... 16 1.3.1 Housing for workers ......................................................................................................... 16 1.3.2 Access roads and transshipment routes ............................................................................ 16 1.3.3 Power supply..................................................................................................................... 17 1.3.4 Waste management ........................................................................................................... 17 1.4 Chinuchi Agreement ............................................................................................................ 18 2. Public Consultation ............................................................................................ 18 2.1 Public Hearing in Nemaska ................................................................................................. 18 2.2 Public Hearing in Chibougamau ......................................................................................... 19 2.3 Submissions During the Public Consultations .................................................................... 19 2.4 Summary of Concerns Expressed During the Public Consultations ................................... 19 2.4.1 Economic benefits ............................................................................................................. 19 2.4.2 Working conditions ........................................................................................................... 20 2.4.3 Land use and traditional pursuits ..................................................................................... 20 2.4.4 Water quality..................................................................................................................... 21 2.4.5 Land-user health and air quality ...................................................................................... 21 2.4.6 Safety and emergency plan ............................................................................................... 21 2.4.7 Cumulative and psychosocial impacts .............................................................................. 22 3. Social and Environmental Assessment ............................................................ 23 3.1 Chinuchi Agreement ............................................................................................................ 23 3.2 Review of Project Alternatives ............................................................................................ 24 ii 3.2.1 Characterization of tailings .............................................................................................. 24 3.2.2 Selected site for tailings accumulation areas ................................................................... 25 3.2.3 Tailings management ........................................................................................................ 25 3.2.4 Mine water treatment ........................................................................................................ 26 3.3 Identification and Analysis of Social and Environmental Issues ........................................ 27 3.3.1 Training and employment ................................................................................................. 28 3.3.2 Working conditions ........................................................................................................... 30 3.3.3 Economic spinoffs ............................................................................................................. 31 3.3.4 Water quality..................................................................................................................... 32 3.3.5 Fish and fish habitat ......................................................................................................... 36 3.3.6 Hunting, fishing and trapping ........................................................................................... 38 3.3.7 Air quality ......................................................................................................................... 40 3.3.8 Noise levels ....................................................................................................................... 40 3.3.9 Safety on the Route du Nord and forest roads .................................................................. 42 3.3.10 Mine closure and site restoration ..................................................................................... 43 3.4 Other Considerations ........................................................................................................... 45 3.4.1 Cumulative impacts ........................................................................................................... 45 3.4.2 Emergency measures plan ................................................................................................ 45 3.4.3 Bats ................................................................................................................................... 46 3.4.4 Wetlands............................................................................................................................ 47 3.4.5 Invasive exotic species ...................................................................................................... 49 3.4.6 Residual materials ............................................................................................................ 49 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 50 Recommendation and Conditions ............................................................................. 53 Appendices .................................................................................................................. 59 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Chronology of the main steps in the environmental and social impact assessment and review procedure ..................................................................................................................... 9 Table 2: Calculated and actual volumes of sedimentation ponds for a 1:1000 year flood event ................................................................................................................................... 14 LIST OF FIGURES Map 1: Project location ............................................................................................................... 8 Map 2: Site plan of mining infrastructures ................................................................................ 11 Map 3: Site plan of ditches, berms and ponds ........................................................................... 14 Map 4: Access roads and transshipment routes......................................................................... 17 Map 5: Project study area .......................................................................................................... 27 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: Documents submitted and produced in the context of the environmental and social impact assessment ................................................................................................................. 61 Appendix 2: Summary Table of Nemaska Lithium’s commitments in respect of the Whabouchi spodumene mine project ....................................................................................................... 65 Appendix 3: Environmental discharge objectives for the Whabouchi Mining Project ............. 69 5 INTRODUCTION Chapter