Baffinland mine proposal goes to public meetings

Residents of Igloolik, Nunavut, can learn more about Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.'s proposal for its Mary River iron property at a community meeting this weekend.

The Nunavut Impact Review Board is holding public meetings on the Mary River proposal on Saturday and Sunday in Igloolik, giving residents an opportunity to see the Mary River project's latest draft impact statement.

Baffinland wants to develop a mine at the Mary River high-grade iron ore property, about 160 kilometres south of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, on northern Baffin Island.

Earlier this year, Baffinland was acquired by a corporation that is 70 per cent owned by European steel giant ArcelorMittal and 30 per cent owned by Nunavut Iron Ore Acquisition Inc.

The Mary River deposit, Baffinland's main asset, is believed to contain at least 865 million tonnes of iron ore.

Environmental concerns

The Nunavut Impact Review Board has asked Baffinland to submit an environmental impact statement as part of its application for regulatory approvals.

Ryan Barry, an official with the review board, said Inuit in Igloolik have raised environmental concerns about the proposed mine's potential impacts on wildlife.

Those who attend this weekend's public meetings in Igloolik can see how Baffinland has responded to their concerns, Barry said.

"We've taken them to the company and said how would you address these concerns, how would you prevent impacts to things like marine mammals. Those concerns, through our process, are going to be addressed," Barry told CBC News on Friday.

"What we're hoping to get feedback on, through the review process, [is whether] these concerns [are] addressed to the satisfaction of the communities and the general public."

Baffinland is proposing to transport iron ore by rail, twice a day, from the Mary River property to a port in Steensby Inlet. From there, icebreakers would ship the ore year-round to steel mills in Europe.

The Nunavut Impact Review Board will be holding more public meetings in Hall Beach, Coral Harbour and Cape Dorset next week.

Jobs, royalties projected

Earlier this week, ArcelorMittal officials told delegates at an Iqaluit mining symposium that a mine at Mary River could bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in royalties to Inuit in Nunavut.

The Nunavut Mining Symposium marked the first time that ArcelorMittal spoke publicly in Nunavut since it acquired majority ownership of Baffinland in February.

"It is definitely a world-class deposit, it's been known for many decades now," said Ron Hampton, director of the Mary River project.

Hampton projected 1,600 jobs would be created during construction and 900 jobs during production.

Initial estimates project that Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the territory's Inuit land-claims organization, could receive royalties of $100 million a year over the mine's lifetime, according to company officials.

Hampton said the logistics of opening a mine at the Mary River site are challenging but not daunting, and officials intend to keep caribou, fish and other marine wildlife in mind when making plans.

"As ArcelorMittal, we intend to continue that partnership and continue to listen to the communities' concerns," he said.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association, which represents Inuit in the region where the Mary River project is located, says it will negotiate an impact benefits agreement with the new owners.

Philip Paneak, a negotiator with the association, said he is eager to meet the mining property's new owners.

"We're not in a hurry as much as we'd like to carry on from where we left off with Baffinland a couple of years ago," he said.