News Release
Hammond Reef Gold Mine Project – Public Comments Invited and Federal Funding Available

OTTAWA – August 10, 2011 – The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) is conducting a comprehensive study, which is a type of environmental assessment, for the proposed Hammond Reef Gold Mine Project located in Ontario. At this time, the comprehensive study is in its early stages. The Agency invites the public to comment on the project and the conduct of the comprehensive study and to identify environmental issues that should be considered in the environmental assessment.

The Agency has prepared the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Guidelines that identify potential environmental effects to be addressed and information that needs to be included in the proponent’s EIS. Public comments on the draft EIS Guidelines are invited and will be reviewed and considered before the document is finalized and issued to the proponent.

The draft EIS Guidelines will be available on the Agency’s Web site at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca, in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry under reference number 11-03-63174 as of August 16, 2011. The document will be available in hard copy by request as well.

The public comment period is from August 16 to September 22, 2011. All comments received during the comment period will be considered.

The Agency is also making available $50,000 under its Participant Funding Program to assist groups and individuals to participate in the federal environmental assessment of this project. Funding applications received by September 22, 2011 will be considered.

This is the first of several public comment periods that will occur during the environmental assessment of the project. Future public participation opportunities, including one on the Comprehensive Study Report, will be announced at a later date.

Osisko Hammond Reef Gold Ltd. proposes to develop an open-pit gold mine that is expected to operate for about 14 years with a production rate of approximately 50,000 tonnes per day. It is located approximately 23 kilometres northeast from the Town of Atikokan in northwestern Ontario, near Marmion Lake.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.

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For more information, media may contact:

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Céline Legault
Communications Advisor
Tel.: 613-957-0278

Document Reference Number: 3

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