Notice of Commencement of an Environmental Assessment and Substitution Approval

Ottawa – November 24, 2014 - The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) has commenced an environmental assessment pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012) for the Aley Mine Project proposed by Aley Corporation Limited. For this project, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, P.C., M.P., Minister of the Environment, has granted substitution of the environmental assessment to British Columbia (B.C.).

Having taken into consideration the request for substitution from B.C. and its approach to undertaking the substituted environmental assessment as set out in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office on the Substitution of Environmental Assessments (2013), the Minister is satisfied that conditions identified below will be met and that the B.C. environmental assessment process is an appropriate substitute. The Minister approves the substitution request given that B.C. has committed to meeting the following conditions:

  • The designated project to be assessed is the construction, operation and decommissioning of an open pit niobium mine, including the construction of a 150 km transmission line, and any incidental physical activities proposed by Aley Corporation Ltd.
  • The substituted process will include a consideration of the factors set out in subsection 19(1) of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012).
  • B.C. will ensure that any Orders under sections 11, 13 and 14 or 15 of B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Act require the subsection 19(1) factors.
  • The public will be given an opportunity to participate in the environmental assessment.
  • The public will have access to records in relation to the environmental assessment to enable their meaningful participation.
  • At the end of the environmental assessment, B.C. will submit a report to the Agency that includes the findings and conclusions of the environmental assessment with respect to the factors as set out in subsection 19(1) of CEAA 2012.
  • The report will be made available to the public.

The Minister has also established the following additional conditions for the Project:

  • B.C. will involve expert federal authorities in the B.C. process.
  • B.C. will provide the Environmental Assessment Report to the Agency within a time frame that will enable the Minister to make decisions under subsection 52(1) of CEAA 2012 within the time limits set out in CEAA 2012.
  • B.C. will conduct procedural aspects of Aboriginal consultation in accordance with the process set out in the Memorandum of Understanding.
  • B.C. will make available to Aboriginal groups funding provided by the Agency to support Aboriginal consultation during the substituted environmental assessment.

For further information on this environmental assessment, please contact:

Aley Mine Project
B.C. Environmental Assessment Office
Brian Murphy, Executive Project Director
836 Yates Street, 2nd Floor
Victoria BC, V8X 9R5
Office: 250-387-2402
Fax: 250-387-2208
E-mail: Brian.Murphy@gov.bc.ca

Document Reference Number: 7

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