Gold mine project development environmental approval

Nova Scotia is a challenging permitting landscape with other gold mine projects taking three to five years to complete the environmental impact assessment process. The project is in an area of historic mining activity, and as a result, the surrounding areas have been affected by the disposition of tailings from historic mining operations. Existing conditions in the area show elevated levels of arsenic, mercury and iron. Development of the project will result in both direct and indirect disturbance of the historic tailings and a remedial action plan is required to manage the risks associated with this material. In addition, there are a number of waterbodies, watercourses and species at risk that may be impacted by the project. The permit applications and associated studies needed to find a way to navigate the challenges in the surrounding environment and mitigate impacts due to the mine development.

Our team was the environmental impact assessment lead for the project and worked with other consultants to successfully submit the environmental impact assessment. We completed hydrological and hydrogeological modelling to support the prefeasibility and feasibility studies for the project. We also completed air, noise and light modelling to assess the effects of the project on the receiving environment and human receptors, and mitigation was identified where necessary. Our team completed a socio-economic conditions assessment as part of the environmental assessment registration. The team also completed a Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessment to identify and delineate the areas of historic tailings within the vicinity of the project infrastructure. A Historic Tailings Management Plan was developed to remediate and monitor areas of historic tailings directly and indirectly impacted by the project. We completed a Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment to evaluate the incremental changes associated with the project compared to baseline conditions which included the presence of historic tailings. In addition to supporting the environmental assessment, our team also assisted the client with water management and treatment design, engagement and public consultation support and regulatory approval tracking. 

The environmental assessment for the project was submitted on time to the provincial regulators and presented a project which was both economically feasible and which mitigated the impacts to the environment to avoid significant adverse effects. The gold mine project received Environmental Assessment Approval in August 2022, only 2 months after its submission in June 2022. The thorough and conscious impact assessments and proposed solutions was able to get the client’s mine through the regulatory permitting process. GHD continues to support the client through the permitting process with the aim of starting construction in 2025.