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Agnico Eagle withdraws Meliadine extension

Company raises β€˜serious concerns’ with review board’s findings
Stewart Burnett
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A view of Agnico Eagle’s Meliadine Mine near Rankin Inlet. The company is in a regulatory battle to extend the life of the mine past 2032, the current expected closing time. Photo courtesy of Agnico Eagle Mines ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅα”ͺα–… αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα–“α‘¦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᐅᑉ ᖃᓂᑖᓂᑦ. ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒃᑯᑦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‡α“±α’ƒα‘α‘¦ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα‘‰ αŠα…α“›α•α“‚α–“α“‚α‘¦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅ 2032 ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ, ᒫᓐᓇᐅα”ͺα–… α‘•α’‘α•™α“‚ ᐅᑭᐅα’₯ᑦ ᓂᕆᐅᒋᔭᐅᑉᓗᓂ α…α’ƒα‘―αŠα“›α•α“‚α–“α“„α‘¦.

Agnico Eagle has withdrawn its proposal to extend the Meliadine gold mine, citing problems with the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s report on the plans, as well as the need for the company to avoid any delays with its current operations.

β€œAs we communicated publicly when the report was released, Agnico Eagle was surprised and disappointed by the NIRB’s recommendations,” wrote Jamie Quesnel, director of permitting and regulatory affairs with the company, in a letter to ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟΝψ Affairs Minister Dan Vandal Dec. 19.

In its Nov. 17 ruling, NIRB recommended that the Meliadine extension proposal not be allowed to proceed at this time, citing β€œconsiderable uncertainty of the potential for the proposal to have negative, lasting effects on caribou, and the uncertainty of cumulative effects.”

Agnico Eagle had sought to extend the mine’s life by 11 years through various expansions of their operation. At NIRB’s public hearings in Rankin Inlet earlier this past fall, critics of the proposal often targeted the windfarm, as the company was looking to construct up to 11 turbines to generate clean power for the mine.

β€œWe had hoped that our suggestion at the end of the hearing that the windfarm be considered separate of the mine extension would have alleviated concerns regarding the windfarm’s proposed placement and impacts,” wrote Quesnel.

Other than issues Agnico Eagle had with NIRB’s report, the thrust of the company’s motivation to pull the extension proposal is to avoid any delays that could be caused for a number of components of the mine that have been approved by NIRB previously but are not yet added to the Type A water licence.

β€œWhile these components were only included in the Meliadine Extension Proposal for the sake of completeness and transparency, some of them will need to be approved as soon as 2024 by the Nunavut Water Board to support the current Meliadine mining plan,” explained Quesnel. β€œPlease note, however, that we are not ruling out the submission of a new application regarding a Meliadine extension project, in due time and when conditions will be suitable.”

That decision would be different if NIRB had recommended the extension proposal, said Quesnel.

Attached to the letter is a nearly 50-page report detailing NIRB’s findings and Agnico’s responses.

β€œThe 11-year extension of the mine life would maintain the current annual mining rate,” stated the company’s report. β€œIt did not request an β€˜intensification’ of mining, as the (NIRB) report suggests.”

The proposed changes at Meliadine would result in a minor footprint of less than one per cent and no material change to outputs, added another bullet point.

According to Agnico Eagle, monitoring of caribou show the mine β€œis not causing significant adverse effects to caribou.”

β€œThe report often catalogues general concerns without considering a balanced approach and without considering the measures which the proponent, NIRB, the government departments and other parties such as the Kivalliq Inuit Association are taking to address them,” wrote Agnico Eagle.

Currently, the mine is expected to close in 2032, or thereabouts, if no extension is approved.

αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᐲᖅᑕᖓᑦ α‘α’ƒα“―α•‹α…α‘Žα–“α‘¦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα•ˆα’ͺᑉᓗᒍ ᑕᓯᕐα”ͺαŠα•α’₯ᑦ α’Žα“—α’§α‘¦ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα–…, α…α–ƒα–…α–’α‘Žα’ƒ ᐃᖒᐃᓗᑕᖃᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖓᓂᑦ αΈα•α“‡α…α‘Žα–“α“α“„α‘¦, αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒃᑯᑦ α“„α–…α–ƒα–“α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα‘¦α‘•αƒα“•α”­α•†αŠα–ƒα•α“‚α–α“α“‚α’ƒ ᒫᓐᓇᐅα”ͺα–… αŠα…α“›α–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‚α–“α“α“‚α‘¦.

β€œα‘α“΄α–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“šα…α–…α–’α‘• ᑭᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖅ ᓴᖅᕿᑕᐅᖕα’ͺᑦ, αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ α“‚α•†α…α“šα…α–α‘¦α‘α‘¦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— α–α••αŠα“±α™±α–¦α–’α‘Žα’ƒ αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᐱᖁᔨᓂᕆᔭᖏᓐᓄᑦ,” α‘Žα‘Žα•‹α–…α‘α–… α”©α’₯ α‘―αŠα”…α“„α“ͺ, αŠα–“α”ͺα–…α–„α–… ᐱα”ͺα–•α“‡α–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‚α•α’§α‘¦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— α’ͺᓕᒐᓕᕆᓂᕐᓄᑦ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ, α‘Žα‘Žα–…α–ƒα’₯ᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒧᑦ α‘²α’ͺᔨᓄᑦ α’₯ᓂᔅᑕᐅα”ͺᒧᑦ ᑖᓐ ᕙᓐᑖα“ͺ-ᒧᑦ ᐋᒑα”ͺᓕᕐᕕᒃ 19-α’₯ᑦ.

ᑲᑕᒑᕆᕝᕕᒃ 17-α’₯ᑦ ᐃᓱα’ͺα“•αŠα–“α“α“‚α‘¦, αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᑕᓯᕐα”ͺαŠα•α’₯ᑦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‚α•α’§α‘¦ α‘α’ƒα“―α•‹α…α‘Žα’₯α’ƒ α‘²α”ͺα“―α–α”¨α“šα…α–α‘¦α‘α‘¦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅα”ͺα–…, α…α–ƒα–…α–’α‘Žα’ƒ β€œαŠα–α”ͺα’₯α’ƒ α“‡α“—α“‡α•α“‚α–…α‘•α–ƒα–…α‘Žα“ͺᓗᒍ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᐅᑕᐅα”ͺα–… ᐱᑦᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ, αŠα‘―α“‚α…α”ͺα’₯α’ƒ α–ƒα“„αƒα–“α“•α–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα”ͺᖕᓇᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᓄᑦ, αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᓇᓗᓇᕐᓂᖏᑦ α‘²α‘Žα‘‰αΈα“ͺα“•αŠα”ͺα“‚α’ƒ ᐱα”ͺᓄᑦ.”

αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα•ˆα’ͺα“šα…α–…α‘•α–“α‘¦ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα‘‰ αŠα…α“›α•α“‚α–“ 11-ᑲᓐᓃᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᓄᑦ αŠα”Ύα”¨α’Œα™±α‘¦α‘α“‚α’ƒ αŠα–α’‘α“•α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“—α‘Žα’ƒ αŠα…α“›α–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‚α–α“α“„α‘¦. αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᑭᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᒃ α‘²α‘Žα’ͺα‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‚α–“α“α“‚α‘¦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐα’₯ᑦ α…α‘­αŠα’ƒα“΅α–‘α“šα…α–…α‘α’₯ᑦ, ᐃᑲα”ͺᖅᑐᐃᖏᓐᓂᖃᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᐅᑕᐅα”ͺα’₯ᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᔭᐅᒐα”ͺα“šα…α–…α‘α‘¦ αŠα“„α•†α’§α‘¦ α‘²αƒα••α‘Žα‘•α…α”ͺᓄᑦ αƒα“‚α’‹α”­α…α“‚αŠα–…α‘α–…, ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒃᑯᑦ 11-α“‚α’ƒ ᓇᑉᐸᖅᓯα”ͺα’ͺα“šα…α•α’ͺα‘• α“΄α“—α’ͺα”ͺα’₯α’ƒ ᐆᒻα’ͺα–…α–α‘Žα“•α…α•†α“‚αŠα–…α‘α“‚α’ƒ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα•α’§α‘¦.

β€œα“‚α•†α…α“šα…α–…α‘α’α‘¦ ᐱα”ͺα’ͺᔭᕗᑦ αƒα“±αŠα“‚α‘¦ α‘²α‘Žα’ͺα‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‚α•α’₯ᑦ αŠα“„α•†α’§α‘¦ α‘²αƒα••α‘Žα‘•α…α”ͺα“‚α’ƒ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅα”ͺα–… ᐃᓱα’ͺα’ƒα“΄α–…α“―α…α•ˆα‘•α…α“‚αŠα•α“—α“‚ αŠα‘‰α“―α’ͺᓗᒍ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα•α’₯ᑦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‚α•α’₯ᑦ αƒα“±α’«α“˜α‘Žα–ƒα“—αŠα–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‡α”­α“šα…α–α‘¦α‘α–… αŠα“„α•†α’§α‘¦ α‘²αƒα••α‘Žα‘•α…α”ͺᓄᑦ ᐃᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᐅᑕᐅα”ͺα’₯ᑦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— αŠα’ƒα‘α–…α“―α“‚α…α”ͺᓂᑦ,” α‘Žα‘Žα•‹α–…α‘α–… ᑯᐃᔅᓂᐅα“ͺ.

αŠα“―α–α“α“‚α‘¦ ᐱᔾα”ͺᑕᐅα”ͺᓂᑦ αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖓᓄᑦ ᐱᔾα”ͺα‘Žα–ƒα–…α‘α“‚α‘¦, α±α’‹αŠα•ˆα’ͺᓂᕆᔭᖓᑦ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒃᑯᑦ α±α’‹αŠα–…α‘Žα“α“‚αŠα•α“—α’ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‚α•α’§α‘¦ α‘α’ƒα“―α•‹α…α‘Ž α“„α–…α–ƒα–“α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα”ͺα’ͺα™±α–¦α–’α‘Žα’ƒ ᐱᔾα”ͺᑕᐅα”ͺᖕᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ α–ƒα‘‰α“―αŠα•α”ͺᐃᑦ αƒα“šα’‹α”­α…α”ͺᓄᑦ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα•α’₯ᑦ α“ˆα’»α’ͺα’‹α”­α…α•Œα“‚α“šα…α–…α‘α‘¦ αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α“α“„α‘¦ α‘­α“―αŠα“‚ αƒα“šα”­α…α“šα…α–α–¦α–’α‘Žα’ƒ α“±α“• Type A ᐃα’ͺᕐᒧᑦ α“šαƒα“΄α“α“―α’§α‘¦.

β€œα‘–α‘‰α‘―αŠ αƒα“šα’‹α”­α…α”ͺᑦ αƒα“šα…α‘Žα‘•α…α‘αƒα“α“‡α“šα…α–…α‘Žα“ͺᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᓯᕐα”ͺαŠα•α’₯ᑦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‚α•α’§α‘¦ α‘α’ƒα“―α•‹α…α‘Žα’₯ᑦ ᐱᔾα”ͺα‘Žα–ƒα–…α–’α‘Žα’ƒ α±αŠα“‚α‘¦α‘ŽαŠα–…α“―α’ͺᓂᕐᒧᑦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅα”ͺᒃᑰᖓᓂᕐᒧᑦ, αƒα“šα–α‘¦ α“ˆα’»α’ͺα’‹α”­α…α”­α•†αŠα–ƒα•α“‚αŠα–…α‘α‘¦ α•Ώα“šα’₯ᐅα”ͺα’₯ᑦ 2024-α’₯ᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻα’₯ ᐃα’ͺᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᑲα”ͺα•α“‚αŠα•α“—α“‚ ᒫᓐᓇᐅα”ͺα–… ᑕᓯᕐα”ͺαŠα•α’₯ᑦ ᐅᔭᕋᒃᑕᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ αΈα•α“‡α…α‘Žα’₯ᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ α‘―αŠα”…α“‚α…α“ͺ. β€œα–ƒα…α”¨α’ͺα“‚αŠα–…α³α“―, α‘­α“―αŠα“‚, ᐲᙱᑕᕗᑦ α“„α‘–α’₯α’ƒ α‘α’ƒα“―α•‹α…α‘Žα’₯α’ƒ ᑕᓯᕐα”ͺαŠα•α’₯ᑦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‚α–…, ᐱα”ͺᒫᕐᓗᒍ α“ˆα’»α’ͺᒃᓯᒃᐸᑦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᖃᓄᐃᖓᓂᐅα”ͺᑦ α“ˆα’»α’ͺᒃᓯᒃᐸᑕ.”

ᐃᓱα’ͺα“•αŠα–‘α”ͺα–… αŠα”Ύα”¨α’‹α“‡α”­α“šα…α–α‘•α–“ αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ α±α–α”¨α“šα…α–…αΈα‘• α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‚α•α’§α‘¦ α‘α’ƒα“―α•‹α…α‘Žα’₯ᑦ, ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᑯᐃᔅᓂᐅα“ͺ.

α‘Žα‘Žα–…α–ƒα’₯ᑦ αƒα“šα…α”ͺα–… 50 α’ͺᒃᐱᖅᑐᒐᐃᑦ ᖃᓂᑖᓃᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖅ αƒα“—αŠα“ƒα‘¦α‘α‘¦ αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᖃᐅᔨᔭᖓᓐᓂᑦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᑭᐅᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ.

β€œ11 ᐅᑭᐅᓂᑦ α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α‘•α…α“‚α–“ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα–… α±α‘•α–ƒα–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‡α”­α–…α‘α–… ᒫᓐᓇᐅα”ͺα–… αŠα•α•Œα’α‘•α’«α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ α–ƒα“„α‘Žα’‹ ᐅᔭᕋᒃᑕᕐᓂᐅα”ͺα’₯ᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᓯα’ͺα”ͺα–… ᑲᒻᐸᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖓᓂᑦ. β€œα‘α’ƒα“―α•‹α“šα…α–α‘¦α‘α–… β€˜α±α’‹αŠα“ͺα“šα’ƒα‘²α“α“‚α•α“‚αŠα–…α‘α“‚α’ƒβ€™ ᐅᔭᕋᒃᑕᕐᓂᕐα’₯α’ƒ, αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖓᓂᑦ ᐅᖃᖅᓯα’ͺᓂᖓᑐᑦ.”

αŠα“―αŠα™³α–…α‘•α…α”ͺα’ͺα”ͺᑦ α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα•α’₯ᑦ α’₯α‘­α”ͺα’₯ᑦ ᐃᓂᒋᔭᐅα”ͺᒨᓇᔭᖅᑐᑦ ᑐᖔᓃᑦᑐα’₯ᑦ 1 α³α“΄α“α‘Žα…α‘‰ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— αŠα‘α–…α‘•α…α”ͺα“‚α’ƒ αŠα“―αŠα™³α–…α‘α–ƒα•‹α”­α™±α‘¦α‘α–… ᐱᕙα“ͺα“•αŠα”­α…α”ͺᓂᑦ, ᐅᖃᖅᓯα’ͺᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ.

ᐅᖃᖅᑕᖓᓐᓂᑦ αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᖅ ᑐᒃᑐᓂᒃ α‘•α‘―α’ƒα“΄α…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα”ͺα–… α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα–… β€œαŠα–α”ͺα’₯α’ƒ ᐅᔾᔨᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ α–ƒα“„αƒα–“α“•α–…α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‚α–ƒα™±α‘¦α‘α–… ᑐᒃᑐᓄᑦ.”

β€œα…α“‚α‘‰α‘³α–… α‘²α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα“‚α–…α“΄α…α–ƒα‘¦α‘•α–…α‘α–… αƒα“±α’«α“˜α‘•α…α”ͺα“‚α’ƒ ᐃᓱα’ͺα’ƒα“΄α–…α“―α…α•ˆα‘Žα’‹α™±α–¦α–’α’‹α‘¦ αƒα’‘α“—α’Œα–•α“‚α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ αŠα‘α•α“‚αŠα•α“—α‘Žα’ƒ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᐃᓱα’ͺᒋᙱᖦᖒᒋᑦ α±α“•α•†αŠα–‘α”ͺᑦ α±α“•α•†αŠα“•α…α‘‰, αŠα•™α‘Žα“•α•†α”¨α’ƒα‘―α‘¦, ᒐᕙα’ͺᒃᑯᑦ αŠα••α’ƒα‘α–…α“―α’ͺα”ͺᖏᑦ αŠα“―α–α“ͺα“— αƒα“šα’‹α”­α…α”ͺᑦ ᓲᕐᓗ α‘­α•™α“ͺᓕᕐα’₯ᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ α‘²α‘α”Ύα”¨α–ƒα‘Žα’Œα’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᐱᔭᖏᓐᓂᑦ α±α“•α•†αŠα•†α“‚αŠα•α“—α’‹α‘¦,” α‘Žα‘Žα•‹α–…α‘α‘¦ αŠα’‘α“ƒα‘―α’ƒα‘―α‘¦.

ᒫᓐᓇᐅα”ͺα–…, α…α”­α•‹α’ƒα‘•α•†αŠα–… ᓂᕆᐅᒋᔭᐅα”ͺα–… α…α’ƒα‘―αŠα•α“‚αŠα•α“‚α–“α“„α‘¦ 2032-α’₯ᑦ, α…α•α•™α“˜α“α“ƒα‘¦ ᖃᓂᑖᓂᑦ, α…αƒα’α’‹αŠα–…α“―α“‚α–… αŠα–α–…α‘•α…α–α‘‰αΈα‘¦.

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