Notice of Commencement of an Environmental Assessment

Cliffs Chromite Project

McFaulds Lake (ON)

October 7, 2011 (Updated June 28, 2012) -- On June 24, 2011, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) received a project description in accordance with the Establishing Timelines for Comprehensive Study Regulations.

Based on information it has received, the Agency has determined that the project is described in the comprehensive study list and that an environmental assessment pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act is required. As a result, a comprehensive study commenced on September 22, 2011.

The proposed project consists of constructing, operating and eventually decommissioning an open pit/underground chromite ore mine (30 year mine life at predicted extraction rate of 6,000 to 12,000 tonnes/day) and ore processing facility. The proposal also includes an integrated transportation system consisting of a new north-south all-season road corridor and a new ferrochrome production facility, which would be located at a different location than the mine site. The project mine site is located approximately 540 km north of the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario and 240 km west of James Bay in an area known as the " Ring of Fire ".

An environmental assessment is required in relation to the project because Fisheries and Oceans Canada may take action in relation to paragraphs 36(5)(a) to (e), where the regulation made pursuant to those paragraphs contains a provision that limits the application of the regulation to a named site of the Fisheries Act and to subsection 35(2) of the Fisheries Act; Natural Resources Canada may take action in relation to paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Explosives Act and because Transport Canada may take action in relation to section 5 of the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

This project is also subject to the environmental assessment requirements of the Government of Ontario.

For further information on this environmental assessment, please contact:
Cliffs Chromite Project
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Jim Chan, Project Manager
55 St. Clair Avenue East
Suite 907
Toronto  ON  M4T 1M2
Telephone : 416-952-1576
Fax : 416-952-1573
Email : CliffsChromiteProject@ceaa-acee.gc.ca

and refer to Registry reference number 11-03-63927

Document Reference Number: 9

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