Project Registration for the Houston 1 and 2 Deposits Mining Project Prepared by: Labrador Iron Mines Limited Suite 700, 220 Bay Street Toronto ON M5J 2W4 December 20, 2011 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Identification of the Proponent ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Contacts and Address .......................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Nature of the Undertaking .................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Regulatory Context .............................................................................................................. 5 1.4.1 Environmental Assessment Process ...................................................................... 5 1.4.2 Environmental Authorizations ................................................................................. 5 1.5 Document Organization ....................................................................................................... 6 2.0 PURPOSE AND ALTERNATIVES ...................................................................................... 8 2.1 Project Purpose and Rationale ............................................................................................ 8 2.2 Alternatives to the Undertaking ............................................................................................ 8 2.3 Alternatives within the Undertaking ...................................................................................... 8 2.3.1 Construction of Houston-Redmond Haul Road and Rail Siding ............................. 8 2.3.2 Beneficiation Site .................................................................................................... 9 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE UNDERTAKING ......................................................................... 13 3.1 Previously Registered Undertakings .................................................................................. 13 3.2 Geographic Location .......................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Project Description ............................................................................................................. 15 3.3.1 Construction Phase ............................................................................................... 16 3.3.2 Operation Phase ................................................................................................... 22 3.3.3 Decommissioning/Post-Decommissioning and Reclamation Phase ..................... 27 3.3.4 Potential Accidental Events .................................................................................. 27 3.4 Potential Effects of the Environment on the Project ........................................................... 29 3.5 Emissions and Waste Management................................................................................... 30 3.5.1 Effluent .................................................................................................................. 30 3.5.2 Waste Rock, Overburden and Reject Rock Fines ................................................ 30 3.5.3 Garbage and Litter ................................................................................................ 30 3.5.4 Hazardous Waste Management ........................................................................... 31 3.5.5 Air Emissions ........................................................................................................ 31 3.5.6 Noise ..................................................................................................................... 31 3.5.7 Blasting ................................................................................................................. 31 3.6 Monitoring .......................................................................................................................... 32 3.7 Environmental Protection Plan ........................................................................................... 32 3.8 LIM Benefits Plan ............................................................................................................... 34 3.9 Women’s Employment Plan ............................................................................................... 34 3.10 Project Related Documents ............................................................................................... 35 4.0 SCHEDULE ....................................................................................................................... 38 5.0 FUNDING ........................................................................................................................... 39 Final Report i December 20, 2011 6.0 COMMUNITY AND ABORIGINAL CONSULTATION ....................................................... 39 6.1 Consultation and Accommodation ..................................................................................... 39 6.1.1 General ................................................................................................................. 39 6.1.2 Aboriginal Consultation ......................................................................................... 40 6.2 Community Consultation .................................................................................................... 49 6.3 Traditional Ecological Knowledge ...................................................................................... 50 7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND EXISTING CONDITIONS ......................................... 52 7.1 Regional Geology .............................................................................................................. 53 7.1.1 Knob Lake Range Geology ................................................................................... 55 7.1.2 Regional Mineralization ......................................................................................... 56 7.1.3 Deposit Types ....................................................................................................... 57 7.1.4 Geomorphology, Surficial Geology, Soils and Permafrost .................................... 61 7.2 Physiography ..................................................................................................................... 66 7.3 Temperature and Precipitation ........................................................................................... 66 7.4 Air Quality .......................................................................................................................... 67 7.5 Aquatic Environment .......................................................................................................... 68 7.5.1 Surface Water Quality ........................................................................................... 68 7.5.2 Hydrology .............................................................................................................. 69 7.5.3 Drainage in the Houston Mine Open Pit Area ....................................................... 72 7.5.4 Drainage in the Houston-Redmond Road Area .................................................... 72 7.5.5 Fish and Fish Habitat ............................................................................................ 73 7.6 Groundwater and Hydrogeology ........................................................................................ 75 7.6.1 Groundwater Quality ............................................................................................. 75 7.6.2 Hydrogeology ........................................................................................................ 76 7.6.3 General Groundwater Conditions in the Schefferville Area .................................. 76 7.7 Vegetation .......................................................................................................................... 79 7.7.1 Habitat Types ........................................................................................................ 79 7.7.2 Rare Plants ........................................................................................................... 80 7.7.3 Timber ................................................................................................................... 80 7.8 Wildlife .............................................................................................................................. 80 7.8.1 Caribou ................................................................................................................. 80 7.8.2 Wildlife Surveys .................................................................................................... 85 7.8.3 Species at Risk ..................................................................................................... 86 7.9 Historic Resources ............................................................................................................. 86 7.10 Socio-Economic Environment ............................................................................................ 87 7.10.1 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 88 7.11 Future Environment ........................................................................................................