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3. Project Description

 The Project consists of construction, operations, and decommissioning phases, with exploration activities being conducted throughout the development and operations periods.

Since the initial discovery of the Voisey's Bay deposit, a number of zones or sections of the deposit have been identified through exploration activities. Currently, the three principal areas are the Ovoid, Eastern Deeps, and the Western Extension. Since the Ovoid is near the surface and is a very high grade deposit that can be mined from the surface, no significant additional exploration work is required to develop a detailed mining plan and analysis for the Ovoid. In the case of the Eastern Deeps and the Western Extension, however, because of the depth at which the mineralization has been identified through drilling from surface, underground mining methods will be required. Additional exploration work using exploration shafts and other techniques will be required before a detailed mining plan can be prepared for developing this underground mineralization. This work cannot be undertaken until the environmental assessment process for the Project has been completed, given the September 1997 decision of the Court of Appeal in Newfoundland.

At this time, VBNC has less information relating to the underground mineralization than would be required to prepare a description of exactly how such underground mineralization would be mined and developed. Accordingly, this document reflects a greater understanding of the mining and development of the Ovoid than the underground mineralization found to date.

The construction phase of the Project will consist of the design and construction of a 20,000 tonne per day open pit mine, mill, port facility, accommodations complex, and all associated buildings and infrastructure. Included in this activity will be the removal of overburden from the Ovoid open pit area.

During open pit mining there will be a start-up period in which the operation will move towards the full production capacity of 20,000 tonnes per day. The duration of the start-up period cannot be precisely predicted because of the following considerations:


Although it is possible that the mine/mill operation will reach the design rate of 20,000 tonnes per day during the first year, for the purpose of both the socio-economic and environmental effects of this environmental impact assessment, a conservative case model was developed. This model assumed a start-up period of 3 years. The modelling was extended for a further 5 years at the full design capacity for open pit operations.

The open pit mining is based on the proven reserves for the Ovoid. The time frame and operational parameters for the underground mine are based on mining an additional 118 million tonnes of ore. For the purposes of the EIS the total estimated ore to be mined for the Project is 150 million tonnes.

When the operation is at full capacity, activities will continue through to completion of the open pit. This will most likely allow seasonal operations (i.e., producing for nine consecutive months every year), resulting in avoiding operating in the open pit during the most severe winter months of the year.

Construction of the underground mine infrastructure and facilities will be conducted throughout the Ovoid open pit operations period. Following the depletion of the open pit, underground operations will be brought into production on a full year basis.

Some overlap will exist between the underground and open pit activities due to the relatively long time frame (typically 2 to 3 years) required for large underground mines to reach their design capacity.

The decommissioning phase of the Project will commence after all ore deposits have been depleted, and will consist of reclamation and decommissioning activities related to all of the facilities constituting the Project. Progressive reclamation activities will also be conducted during the life of the Project.


3.1 Rationale and Purpose

Inco, the world's largest nickel producer, has been focused on a strategy of expansion and growth. The reasons for this strategy include: the world demand for nickel continues to grow, thereby creating significant opportunities for growth; and Inco has been selling more nickel than it produces and consequently realizes little or no profit on the nickel it purchases from other sources to meet customer requirements.

The Project is being developed to meet Inco's strategy of developing low cost nickel deposits and remaining as the world's leading producer of nickel.

For the people of the Province of Newfoundland, the Project will result in increased training and employment opportunities and associated wages and benefits. It will also contribute to the growth in business opportunities arising from the increased demand for goods and services created by the Project, which will ultimately help to attract new investment into the province.

"When I was small, and we was up in Voisey's Bay,…, we used to find rocks up in there and make like powder, put'um in a can Uncle George and Uncle Jim used to mix with seal oil and paint their boats with it.". (Them Days Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 2, p.145).


3.2 Need for The Project

VBNC and Inco need the Project to meet future nickel demands including growing industrial needs. Inco requires low cost reserves to remain competitive and maintain its position as the leading supplier of nickel in the world. Approximately 300,000 end-use applications of nickel are known, the majority of which are related to the unique properties of nickel: heat and corrosion resistance.

The main first use markets for nickel include stainless steel, alloy steels, nickel alloys, copper alloys, plating, and chemicals. The main end use markets for stainless steel include capital goods for major industries (petroleum, chemical, power, and processing), consumer products, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and coinage applications.

The following are examples of products which feature nickel or nickel-containing alloys:


Markets for nickel containing products are expected to continue to increase, thus requiring projects such as the Project to both meet demand and keep Inco in a competitive position globally.


3.2.1 The Provincial Economy

The Newfoundland and Labrador economy is the weakest performer in Canada. It is characterized by high unemployment rates, a traditional dependence on primary resource production and reliance on federal transfer payments. In the 1980s and 1990s, wealth from both the resource sector (particularly the fishery) and from federal contributions to current account revenues declined and provincial public sector debt grew.

In the 1997/98 budget year, 43.7 percent of total provincial revenue is expected to originate from federal sources. While the provincial direct debt declined slightly in 1996/97 from $5,943 million to $5,528 million, the $540 million in annual interest payments was the third highest expenditure by government after health care and education.

In 1996, Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest level of personal disposable income of all the provinces ($10,104). Unemployment rates (18.3 percent in Newfoundland and Labrador) in 1995 were the highest in Canada. Recent data on the unemployment rates for Newfoundland and Labrador indicate an increase to 19.4 percent in 1996 and a forecasted increase to 20.5 percent in 1997. Also in 1995, labour force participation rates (53.1 percent) were the lowest (the national average was 64.8 percent). Recent data on the labour force for Newfoundland and Labrador indicate a decrease of 2.5 percent from 241,500 in 1995 to 235,500 in 1996. In 1997, the Consumer Price Index for Newfoundland and Labrador increased by 0.6 percent to 130.3 from 129.5 in 1996 (Table 3.1).

Table 3.1 Selected Economic Indicators - Newfoundland and Labrador 1993-1997

Indicator 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997f
Population (000) (As of July 1) 584.5 (0.2%)1 581.8 (-0.2%) 577.5 (-0.7%) 571.7 (-1.0%) 563.6 (-1.4%)
GDP at Market Prices ($m) 9,501 (2.9%) 9,839 (3.6%) 10,449 (6.2%) 10,188 (-2.5%) 9,740 (-4.4%)
Personal Income ($m) 10,108 (1.1%) 10,225 (1.2%) 10,279 (0.5%) 10,104 (-1.7%) 9,872 (-2.3%)
Transfer Payments 3,456 (3.6%) 3,419 (-1.1%) 3,295 (-3.6% 3,183 (-3.4%) n/a
UI Benefits (Constant 1986 $000,00) 760 (-15.3%) 639 (-15.9%) 529 (-17.1%) n/a n/a
Labour Force (000s) 242 (-0.5%) 244 (1.1%) 242 (-1.2%) 236 (-2.5%) 234 (-0.6%)
Employment (000s) 193 (-0.4%) 195 (0.7%) 197 (1.4%) 190 (-3.9%) 186 (-1.9%)
Unemployment Rate (%) 20.1 20.4 18.3 19.4 20.5
CPI (1986=100) % change 124.1 (1.6) 125.7 (1.3) 127.5 (1.4) 129.5 (1.6) 130.3 (0.6)
Value of Newsprint Shipments ($m) 416 (19.1%) 472 (13.5%) 674 (42.8%) 628 (-6.8%) n/a
Value of Fish Landings ($m) 194(8.4%) 201 (3.6%) 330 (62.4%) 240 (-27.3%) n/a
Value of Mineral Shipments ($m) 698.9 (-1.0%) 838.3 (19.9%) 881.5 (5.2%) 933.0 (5.8%) 978.3 (4.9%)
Value of Iron Ore Shipments ($m) 614.4 (2.8%) 743.1 (20.9%) 795.8 (7.1%0 820.7 (3.1%) 898.7 (9.5%)
Value of Manufacturing Shipments ($m) 1,324 (3.4%) 1,423 (7.5%) 1,540 (8.3%)) 1,572 (2.0%) n/a
 
f Forecast
1 Percentage change over previous year
n/a = not applicable
Sources: Newfoundland and Labrador Budget 1997; Newfoundland and Labrador The Economy 1997; Economics and Statistics Section, Department of Finance, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.


Unlike the previous several years, the provincial economy in 1996 did not experience economic growth, with real GDP decreasing by 2.5 percent. The main contributors to GDP in 1994 by industrial sector are indicated in Table 3.2. The proportion of GDP generated by the goods-producing sector is modest. Mining is currently one of the smaller contributing industries (3.2 percent) within the group.

Table 3.2 GDP by Industry - Newfoundland and Labrador, 1994

Industry Contribution to GDP (%) Employment (%)
Community, Business and Personal Services 27.6 38.9
Finance Insurance and Real Estate 16.1 3.7
Public Administration 11.0 9.1
Wholesale and Retail Trade 10.8 17.9
Transport and Communication 8.1 7.9
Construction 7.2 5.4
Manufacturing 6.8 6.6
Electric Power and Other Utilities 5.3 1.2
Mining 3.2 2.9
Other Primary 2.7 6.5
Other Services 0.9 0.0
Source: The Economy 1996, Department of Finance, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NF.

Mining

"The minerals and metals industry makes an important economic contribution to Canada's regional economics through major expenditures on mineral exploration, capital investments and wages." (Sustainable Development and Minerals and Metals: An Issues Paper by Natural Resources Canada. September 1995. p.24) .

There was considerable growth in the mining sector of the province in 1996. The value of mineral shipments increased by 5.8 percent to $933 million, employment increased by 2.8 percent from 1995, and preparatory work continued on the Project. The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOCC), currently the largest mineral producer in the province, continued to report positive results on shipments. In 1997 and 1998, IOCC intends to spend $75 million on capital improvements. Wabush Mines, another large mineral producer, also reported positive production rates and will be completing a feasibility study on a new manganese extraction plant. Despite the closure of the Hope Brook Mine in late 1997, gold production in the province is still expected to rise. The recent or expected entrance of several gold producers, including Ming Minerals Inc., Raymo Processing Ltd., and Richmont Mines Inc., is responsible for the anticipated rise in gold production.

Oil and Gas

 Oil and gas activity in the province is increasing. It is expected that by the year 2000, the province may be producing 225,000 barrels of light crude oil per day. The construction phase of the Hibernia project was completed in May 1997 and the structure has since been towed out to sea and has begun commercial production. The foundation for the future of oil and gas in this province has been laid by the Hibernia project. Through contributing to industrial development in the province, Hibernia has created an infrastructure for long term growth and development in the oil and gas sector.

The development drilling and construction of the production system for the Terra Nova project is scheduled to begin in 1998. The Terra Nova project is expected to produce 400 million barrels of recoverable reserves and has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years. Interest in conducting additional offshore activities is increasing. Husky Oil has confirmed their interest in developing the Whiterose field, and Amoco will drill a well in 1997. In 1996, an offshore land offering was conducted for eight parcels of land, four close to Hibernia and four on Newfoundland's west coast. The largest bid, from Amoco, was $65 million. The activity throughout the province in oil development and exploration will continue to build a sustainable industry over the next 50 years (Chafe 1997).

Forestry

The forestry sector in the province suffered a decline in 1996, mainly as a result of falling world prices and reduced consumption of newsprint. In the province's lumber industry there has been substantial improvement since the 1980s, which has been attributed to the aggressive export marketing techniques used by the industry. Unfortunately, results from a review of the province's timber supply indicate that the province's forests are unable to meet the demand for raw materials. Through forest management and protection measures, the shortage may be overcome. In the short term, the outlook for the province's forestry industry is positive. A rise in newsprint shipments is expected for 1997, coupled with an expected rise in market prices. Investment in the industry is expected to remain positive as a result of committed spending in capital improvements.

Fishery

"In the 1970's, soon after the opening of the Nain fish plant the netted charr were large and numerous, but by the 1980's the stocks had already seriously declined in size and numbers". (From Sina to Sikujaluk: OUR FOOTPRINT; mapping Inuit Environmental Knowledge in the Nain district of Northern Labrador , September 1997, p.46).

The fishing industry, the traditional mainstay of the province's economy, has greatly declined over the past ten years. Employment, licenses, and groundfish landings have all decreased considerably since 1988. Despite the challenges presented to the industry by the groundfish closures, 1996 industry performance results showed a positive change over 1995. Both fish landing and employment in harvesting and processing were up in 1996. This increase was mainly attributed to the return of caplin, higher turbot and redfish catches, high crab landings, and improved market conditions for turbot, redfish, caplin, shrimp, and scallop products. The province's aquaculture industry continued to show growth in 1996 with license issuance up to 210 from 158 in 1995. The industry has seen production grow 17 percent over the year and, assisted by the Canada/Newfoundland Agreement on Economic Renewal, the industry will experience further growth. In spite of the industry's performance in 1996, employment and fish landing levels still remain low. The overall industry will require several years of growth before returning to its past level of performance.

Tourism

The tourism industry in Newfoundland and Labrador is positioned as one of the main sectors for future economic growth. There was a decline in non-resident visitations and expenditures for 1996. Customs and Excise data indicated a 59 percent increase over 1995 levels in international visitations from England, France, and Germany.

"The production of minerals in the North forms a significant part of the mineral industry in Canada and, as such, is of importance to the Canadian economy as a whole". (Aboriginal people and mining in Nunavit, Numavik and Northern Labrador Research Study, 1994).

The Labrador Economy - A Backdrop for the Project

An important amount of economic activity in Labrador is tied to the development of natural resources, specifically the iron ore mines in Labrador West, the Churchill Falls hydro-electric facility, and eventually the Project. The Happy Valley-Goose Bay airbase is also another important contributor to the Labrador economy. Substantial amounts of goods and services consumed in Labrador are imported either from the island of Newfoundland or from the rest of Canada. There is very little domestic production of goods and services that are consumed within the boundaries of Labrador. Table 3.3 summarizes the most recent demographic and economic data on the Labrador economy available from Statistics Canada publications.

Table 3.3 Labrador - Selected Statistics
Parameter Amount
Population 30,375
Labour force 15,160
Unemployed 3,441
Unemployment rate 22.7%
Participation rate 66.8%
Average Family Income $50,854
Distribution of Family Income  
Less than $9,999
 5.8%
10,000 - 29,999
 19.6%
30,000 - 49,999
 24.4%
50,000 - 69,999
 29.3%
70,000 and over
 20.8%
Source: Statistics Canada 1997

Labrador has a relatively small population concentrated in three main centres (Labrador City, Wabush, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay) and a corresponding small labour force. Another prominent feature is the relatively high average family income levels and the high participation rate. The high participation rate indicates that most of the adult population in Labrador is working.


3.2.2 Economic Viability of the Project

The economics of the Project will be largely influenced by a number of factors, some of which are beyond the control of VBNC. The primary factors influencing the Project's economics include the eventual grades and quantities of the reserves (identified through recognized methodology), metal prices, capital and operating costs, exchange and interest rates, taxation, and the timing of start-up and reaching projected capacity.

Ore Reserves

The size and grades of the reserves have a substantial effect on the economic viability of the Project. The mine production plans are based on having at least 150 million tonnes of mineral resource. A total of 31.7 million tonnes of proven reserves exist in the Ovoid, which will be mined by open pit methods. In addition, 59.9 million tonnes of indicated resource have been discovered in the Eastern Deeps and Discovery Hill areas or zones. An underground exploration program will be required prior to reclassification of these indicated resources into proven reserves.

The remainder of the 150 million tonnes consists of 24.7 million tonnes of inferred resources and 33.7 million tonnes yet to be identified. The inferred resources have been identified in the Reid Brook Zone, Lower Discovery Hill Zone, and the SE Extension zones, or areas which are part of, or adjacent to, the three principal areas identified to date. The additional resources are expected to be discovered through continued exploration in the Voisey's Bay area.

While it is expected that the 150 million tonnes required as part of the mine production plan for the Project will be reached, if not exceeded, through the exploration program, the mine life and the annual production levels will be affected by the eventual underground ore grades, the quantification of the ore identified as proven or probable reserves based upon established mining industry and internal standards, and what underground mining methods will be economically and technically feasible.

Metal Prices

"With the exception of locally consumed commodities such as sand and gravel (whose prices are mainly influenced by transportation costs) minerals and metals produced in Canada are subject to prices set in international markets". (Sustainable Development and Mining and Metals, An Issues Paper by Natural Resources Canada, September 1995)

Prices for nickel and copper are based largely by reference to prices established on the London Metal Exchange ("LME") and other terminal markets in the case of copper. Prices are clearly affected by fundamental supply and demand factors beyond the control of VBNC and have varied significantly over the past ten years. For example, the average LME cash nickel price in 1986 was $US 1.76/lb, $US 6.05/lb in 1989, and to September 30, 1997 the average LME cash nickel price in 1997 was $US 3.26/lb. These large fluctuations can have significant effects on profitability and on the ability to undertake large capital expenditures and to sustain mines with relatively low ore grades and/or high operating costs.

Capital Expenditures

Capital expenditures will be required for the initial construction period, which will include the mill, site buildings, port, open pit mine, and all other required surface infrastructure and for ongoing exploration. Subsequently, capital investment will be necessary for the exploration and subsequent development of the underground mines. The magnitude of this development will depend on the results of underground exploration. However, the underground expenditures are expected to be substantial.

Foreign Exchange and Interest Rates

VBNC will need to finance construction of the Project's facilities through borrowings. The interest rate related to this financing will be one of the important factors to be considered in assessing the economic viability of the Project. In addition, metal prices are quoted in U.S. dollars. Therefore, any fluctuations in the exchange rate will also affect the economics of the Project.

Taxation

The economic viability of the Project's mineral resources, including underground deposits, is sensitive to any increase in costs, which would include royalties and taxes. This sensitivity is due to the higher capital and operating costs associated with the Project, including underground mining, in addition to the expected lower grades associated with the underground resources. Any significant increase in costs due to taxes or royalties could result in having a reduced total economic resource, particularly from the underground deposits, and thus reducing the life of the Project.

Timing of Other Nickel Projects

 The Project is not the only nickel project being considered for development. In addition to other projects Inco expects to develop, including Goro in New Caledonia, many other new and expansion projects are already in the planning phase and beyond.

While the future market demand for nickel is expected to be strong, the market cannot support unlimited sources of new supply. Nickel prices are established by supply and demand. As has been borne out in the past, a large increase in the nickel supply beyond that which is required to meet increases in demand will likely result in a significant reduction in nickel prices. Any delay in the development of the Project could result in a number of other projects coming into production ahead of the Project.

Should this happen, the Project could commence production at a time when nickel prices have been eroded by over-supply in the industry, in which case the economic viability of the Project could be significantly affected. Projects in Australia, Venezuela, and elsewhere have recently obtained financing and are scheduled to be in production in advance of the Project.

Conversely, if the Project can get into production quickly, other nickel projects that are at a less advanced stage may not proceed.


3.2.3 Economic Potential of the Project

"Canada's minerals and metal industry currently employs more than 340,000 Canadians and sustains or contributes to the economic viability of over 150 communities, mostly in rural and remote areas of Canada". (The Minerals and Metals Policy of the Government of Canada: Partnerships for Sustainable Development. p.2)
The Project will have positive economic implications for the provincial economy and treasury.

In summary, the Project is projected to create approximately 28,500 direct person-years of employment and generate over $1.5 billion in direct employment income. In addition to these direct employment impacts, there will be indirect and induced impacts associated with spin-off activities. These are presented in Chapter 21.

Depending on the extent of Newfoundland and Labrador's ability to supply, on a competitive basis, the goods and services required throughout all phases of the Project, a significant additional amount of jobs and income could be available. Based on conservative estimates, a minimum additional 32,000 person-years of employment could accrue to Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Planning and Construction Phase

Expenditures during the planning and construction phase will provide short-term benefits to the provincial economy since it is estimated that approximately 3,650 person-years of direct employment will be created, providing workers with approximately $200 million in employment income.

In addition to these direct benefits, other businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador will benefit indirectly from the purchases of goods and services to meet the Project's needs.

Open Pit Operations

The benefits from this part of the Project are greater than those of the pre-production period as there are numerous ongoing activities, including both capital and operating components. Even though open pit mining focuses on the production of ore and concentrate from the Ovoid, the development of the underground mine will offer additional employment opportunities and expenditures, and is projected to account for over 40% of the total expenditures over the life of the Project.

The total direct person-years of employment during the open pit operations is estimated at 7,500 generating direct incomes of approximately $400 million.

Underground Operations

The expenditures during the underground mining period are dominated by the operating costs of the underground mine and the mill, which together account for over 80% of total expenditures during the estimated 17 year period for underground operations. Given that the underground mining operations are much more labour intensive and expensive than the open pit operations, the annual effects on the economy in this period are greater and more consistent, as the fluctuations from capital expenditures are not as pertinent.

The underground operating component of the Project provides the greatest potential for long term direct employment effects. Total direct employment during underground operations is projected to be 17,000 persons-years, averaging approximately 1,100 person-years per annum. This level of direct employment will generate between $55 and $65 million in annual income to workers at the mine/mill facilities of the Project.

Provincial Treasury Effects - Total Project

The Project is expected to generate an estimated $1.5 billion in increased tax revenues to the Provincial Treasury. Direct taxes, including corporate income taxes, mining taxes, personal income taxes and payroll taxes, will account for approximately 80% of the total. The remaining taxes will be generated from indirect and induced taxation on corporations and individuals supplying the Project. Included in induced taxes are revenues generated through harmonized sales taxes. Taxation effects the provincial treasury and will be offset by reductions in equalization entitlements from the federal government. Indirect effects refer to jobs and income occurring to companies that provide goods and services directly to the Project. Induced effects refer to the circulation of money through the economy due to the Project.

Another significant source of revenue for the provincial government agency will be worker's compensation premium payments. Worker's compensation premiums are estimated to total $137 million over the life of the Project, including $86 million in premiums paid directly by VBNC and $51 million resulting from indirect and induced effects.


3.3 Alternatives to the Project

 Alternatives to a project are different ways of achieving the same end goal or result. The only other alternative to fulfil Inco's strategy, and meet its customers' demand for nickel, is to develop other nickel deposits. Should this alternative be unsuccessful, Inco would have a reduced role in the world nickel market, which might also reduce the overall world nickel supply. While there would be no effects on the biophysical environment in the absence of the Project, the numerous positive socio-economic benefits would not accrue to the Province of Newfoundland and its people.


3.3.1 Alternative Development of Other Nickel Deposits

 Inco has a number of alternatives available for meeting its strategy of developing low cost sources of nickel, including further expansions of its existing facilities in Indonesia and its Goro project in New Caledonia.

Inco is currently expanding its production of nickel in the Far East. Its Indonesian subsidiary, P.T. International Nickel Indonesia (P.T. Inco), will increase its production capacity of nickel by 50% to 150 million pounds by 1999. Inco also owns a number of undeveloped properties which are expected to support its strategy of developing low cost deposits. Studies are currently underway for the Goro property in New Caledonia, which contains nickel-cobalt deposits. Current estimates are that the Goro deposit contains a minimum of 165 million tonnes of lateritic ore. A pilot plant, estimated to cost $50 million (US), will be constructed to test this ore and is scheduled for completion in early 1999.


3.3.2 "No Project" Alternative

The future condition of the environment if the Project does not proceed is analyzed and presented in the environmental effects analysis chapters in the EIS.


In addition to providing alternatives to the Project, the Guidelines have required that the "no project" alternative be analyzed. If the Project does not proceed, the mineral resource will not be developed, and the potential effects and benefits predicted in this EIS will not be realized.


3.4 Mineral Resources


3.4.1 Regional Geology

 A contact zone running north-northeast through the Voisey's Bay area marks the suture along which two continents collided over 1.8 billion years ago. Rocks of the Archean Nain Province lie to the east of the suture and Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Churchill Province lie to the west. The suture zone was intruded by massive volumes of magma between 1,350 and 1,290 million years ago. These intrusions are collectively called the Nain Plutonic Suite, an assemblage of igneous rocks with compositions ranging from felsic to mafic. Granite (felsic), anorthosite, diorite, and troctolite (mafic) are the predominant rock types. The Nain Plutonic Suite has a surface expression 275 km long in the north-south direction and 100 km wide in the east-west direction. The intrusion is believed to have been emplaced at depths of 6 to 15 km. All known mineralization in the Voisey's Bay area is hosted by troctolite of one of the intrusions, the Reid Brook intrusion, within the Nain Plutonic Suite.

The Voisey's Bay deposits occur in two main environments within the Reid Brook intrusion. The Ovoid and the Western Extension are hosted by a troctolite dyke (or sheet) whereas the Eastern Deeps mineralization occurs at the entry line between a troctolitic dyke and the main body of the troctolite intrusion. The dyke is believed to represent part of the conduit system for the Reid Brook intrusion, suggesting that other mineralized feeder/conduits may be present.


3.4.2 Orebody Geology and Potential Resources

 The Ovoid contains proven reserves of 31.7 million tonnes. Lower grade mineralization is known to occur in other areas or zones, principally the Eastern Deeps and Western Extension (Reid Brook and Discovery Hill). Table 3.4 summarizes the current distribution of the mineral resources. Other prospective areas near or adjacent to these areas or zones are being drilled to identify additional resources. The geology surrounding the ore reserves is illustrated in an interpretive longitudinal section in Figure 3.1.

Table 3.4 Reserves and Resources
Mineral Area/Zone Potential Mineral Resource (Million Tonnes)
  Proven Reserves Indicated Resources Inferred Resources
Ovoid Zone 31.7    
Eastern Deeps - Main Zone   47.0  
Eastern Deeps - Far Zone   5.6  
SE-Extension Zone     2.4
Discovery Hill - Upper Zone   7.3  
Discovery Hill - Lower Zone     5.6
Reid Brook Zone     16.7
Future Discoveries*     33.7
Total All Areas/Zones 31.7 59.9 58.4
All figures as of October 1997
* Expected to be found		      

The principal sulphide minerals in the mineralized areas/zones are pyrrhotite (iron sulphide), chalcopyrite (copper-iron sulphide), and pentlandite (iron-nickel sulphide also containing cobalt). Sulphide content in the troctolite ranges from nil to 100%. The chemical composition and abundance of the minerals associated with the zones are listed in Table 3.5. The strongly disseminated to semi-massive zones consist principally of pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite in a plagioclase-olivine matrix, with accessory pyroxene, biotite, hornblende, and iron/titanium oxides (ilmenite). The massive sulphide zones contain over 90% coarsely crystalline sulphides comprised of pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, as well as minor magnetite.


Figure 3.1 Voisey's Bay Deposit Cross-Section

Table 3.5 Ore Zone Mineralogy
Mineral Chemical Formula Massive Zone (%)
(Ovoid Zone)		 Disseminated to Semi-Massive Zone(%)
(Eastern Deeps and Western Extension)
Pyrrhotite
Pentlandite
Chalcopyrite
Plagioclase
Olivine
Pyroxene
Biotite

Hornblende
Magnetite
Ilmenite		 Fe1-xS
(Fe,Ni,Co)9S8
 CuFeS2
 Ca (Na)Al2Si2 O8
(Mg, Fe)2SiO4
(Ca,Mg,Fe)2Si2O6
K(Mg,Fe)3(Al,Fe)Si3O10(OH,F)2
(Ca,Na,K)2-
3(Mg,Fe,Al)5(SiAl)8O22(OH)2
Fe3O4
FeTi O3		 70
15
10
-


-
-
-

5		 40-50
8-10
5-7
30
10


Accessory minerals combine to form 3-17% of the rock

The Ovoid is a bowl-shaped deposit which measures 950 m by 500 m and is over 100 m thick at the centre. Depths from the ground surface to the top of the deposit range from 2.5 to 30 m. The Ovoid is comprised of approximately 70% crystalline massive sulphide minerals. It is believed to represent a depression on the bottom of a troctolite sheet, where sulphide magma collected during the emplacement of the troctolite.

The Eastern Deeps deposit is southeast of the Ovoid. The deposit is ribbon shaped and lies at the base of a large troctolitic intrusion. The mineralized zone occurs as an upper disseminated sulphide zone and a basal massive sulphide zone. Drilling results indicate that the mineralized zone ranges from depths of 500 to 950 m below the surface. The deposit is approximately 1000 m long, 100 to 200 m wide and 20 to 100 m thick. The deposit plunges east-southeast at approximately 20° .

The Western Extension (Reid Brook and Discovery Hill Zones) is west of the Ovoid. The deposit occurs as thin lenses of massive sulphide in a narrow sheet of steeply dipping host troctolite. Drilling results indicate the mineralized zone ranges from near surface to at least 800 m in depth. The mineralized zone is discontinuous and approximately 1600 m long, 150 m wide, and 20 to 70 m thick.


3.5 Planning for Mine Development

 Mine development and mining requires an ongoing sequence of activities, analysis of information and calculated risks associated with economic viability, environmental protection, and return on investment. Most mining projects evolve through a number of steps, including exploration, estimates of mineable quantities of ore, estimates for costs of production, and market analysis. Business decisions on the economic potential of known deposits are in a continual state of change as new information is obtained.

A production rate of 20,000 tonnes per day of ore has been established as the optimum level of production, both economically and logistically, in addition to being consistent with VBNC's target of producing up to 270 million lbs. of nickel annually during the mining of the Ovoid open pit. The production level also provides the flexibility to operate on a seasonal basis during the start-up of the operation, with the option to continue seasonal operations throughout the life of the Ovoid open pit.


3.5.1 Approach to Project Planning

 "Today, mineral exploration and development projects in Canada operate according to some of the highest environmental and social (e.g. Health & Safety) standards in the world." (Sustainable Development and Minerals and Metals: An Issues Paper by Natural Resources Canada. p.8).

Since the discovery of the Voisey's Bay nickel, copper, and cobalt deposit, efforts have focused on the estimation of mineable quantities of ore, the feasibility of developing a mine and mill complex at Voisey's Bay, and the environmental concerns associated with such a development. A range of alternatives regarding the development of a future mine has been analyzed taking into consideration a balance of environmental, safety, and economic factors. A thorough analysis of potential alternatives was required in the course of preparation of the Project.

A prime reason for examining alternative means for carrying out the Project is to ensure that environmental concerns are given sufficient weighting in the decision-making process. Four environmental principles were identified as being key to good environmental planning. These principles are:

These principles require efficient use of process water, consolidation of process water flows, segregation of process water and fresh water, and the identification of sensitive environmental features in the vicinity of the Project. Given these principles, the areas that were judged to be particularly sensitive included Voisey's Bay to the south, and the Reid Brook system flowing into the head of Voisey's Bay. An analysis of the alternatives considers these principles, which have guided decision making in several instances.

Brief descriptions of alternative means for carrying out the Project are provided in Section 3.5.2. A conceptual layout of the Project site is illustrated in Figure 3.2.

Alternative Means for Carrying Out the Project

"A fly-in fly-out operation is preferred as the best way to maintain Inuit life styles". (Seeing the Land is Seeing ourselves, Labrador Inuit Association Issues Scoping Project, 4 July 1996, p.17).

Several alternatives for the Project have been studied in order to determine the most suitable choice for facility location and operation activities. The primary constraints in locating the infrastructure for the Project include, but are not limited to, site requirements, the environment, restrictions on water management, sewage and effluent treatment, discharge of treated effluent, and economics.

Primary infrastructure siting considerations include:


The principal issues that were examined regarding alternative means for carrying out the Project were:


Alternative means for each of these issues are examined in the following sections.


Figure 3.2 Voisey's Bay Mine/Mill Project - Site Layout

3.5.1.1 Shipping Season

Three shipping season options were considered, namely year-round shipping, seasonal shipping, and an extended shipping season. The most favourable economic option would be to ship product produced by the Project year round. However, VBNC acknowledges the importance of ice for winter travel, wildlife habitat, and resource harvesting, and has taken these concerns into account in choosing a preferred alternative.

Year-Round Shipping

Year-round shipping would involve shipping of concentrates and supplies throughout the ice season. The concentrate storage facility requirements would be small relative to the other options. However, year-round shipping could affect the use of ice for travel and harvesting by local residents. It could also affect caribou, which use the ice in winter to travel to the inner islands, and seals, which use the ice in spring to build dens for giving birth to their pups.

Extended Shipping Season

An extended season would enable shipping to continue during the winter. A larger concentrate storage facility would be required to stockpile up to 360,000 tonnes of nickel and cobalt concentrate and up to 150,000 tonnes of copper concentrate during full year operations. As discussed in Chapter 9, shipping would be scheduled to avoid the sensitive ice formation and early spring hunting periods. Potential effects on ice as a travel route and for wildlife habitat would be reduced.

Seasonal Shipping

Seasonal shipping would consist of shipping only during the ice-free season. A very large concentrate storage facility would be required to stockpile up to 630,000 tonnes of nickel-cobalt concentrate and up to 150,000 tonnes of copper concentrate produced during the months when the ice cover would prevent any shipping. Oxidation of the large volumes of concentrate is a technical concern associated with this option.

Analysis of Alternatives for Shipping Seasons

The advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives are summarized in Table 3.6.

Design of the concentrate dewatering, storage, and handling facilities is currently on-going. In parallel with this design effort, test work is currently being conducted to determine the concentrate oxidation, storage, and handling characteristics.

Alternative 1, year-round shipping, is the preferred option based on the most favourable economics for the Project, the reduced size of the concentrate storage building required, reduced inventory cost, and reduced oxidation of concentrate. However, VBNC recognizes the potential effects associated with year-round shipping, and therefore Alternative 2 has been selected to mitigate and reduce potential effects to acceptable levels.

Table 3.6 Shipping Season - Analysis of Alternatives
Alternative Advantages Disadvantages
Alternative 1 - Year-round Shipping
  • requires small concentrate storage facility relative to other options
  • delivery of concentrate to off-site smelters is regular and routine
  • little oxidation of concentrate
  • low capital and inventory costs
    		•
  • disruption of travel by local residents and wildlife

  • potential changes to use of ice by wildlife
  • ice-breaking abilities required.
  • high shipping costs
    • Alternative 2 -Extended Shipping
  • disruption to local travel by residents and disruption to wildlife is reduced
    		•
  • requires larger capacity concentrate storage compared to Alternative 1
  • ice-breaking abilities required
  • high inventory carrying costs
    • Alternative 3 - Seasonal Shipping
  • no disruption of using ice by local residents for travel
  • no disruption to wildlife
  • ice breaking capabilities not required
  • low shipping costs
    		•
  • limited shipping season requires large concentrate storage facility and fuel storage facility
  • extended storage time of concentrate may result in oxidation which results in loading, transporting and smelting difficulties
  • storage of concentrate during the winter represents inaccessible inventory
  • high inventory carrying cost

    • VBNC is clearly mindful of the concerns raised by LIA and the Innu Nation on shipping. The approach developed and outlined, including the steps outlined in Chapter 9, to be implemented during the ice formation and major hunting periods in the late spring, represents a balanced approach, recognizing the ongoing concerns expressed by LIA and the Innu. VBNC has taken those concerns into account in developing the mitigation plan.


    3.5.1.2 Port Location

     Concentrate is a product of the mill process which contains a higher concentration of an element than the original ore.

    Nickel and copper concentrates will be transported to the port site, where they will be stored and subsequently shipped off-site for further processing. Marine shipping is the most economical means of transporting large volumes of concentrate. The port facility will have the capacity to handle up to 50,000 DWT vessels, and to provide adequate concentrate and fuel storage. The criteria that were considered when selecting a preferred port location include adequate marine access, adequate depth for vessel draft, and avoidance of sensitive delta areas in Voisey's Bay.

    Three alternatives have been considered for the location of the port facility:


    Analysis of Alternatives for Port Location

    The advantages and disadvantages of the three alternatives are summarized in Table 3.7. VBNC recognizes the ecological importance of Voisey's Bay and has tried to keep Project-related activities out of Voisey's Bay if possible. Kangeklualuk Bay is narrow and relatively shallow, with insufficient room for the vessels to turn.

    Table 3.7 Port Location - Analysis of Alternatives
    Alternative Advantages Disadvantages
    Alternative 1 - Edward's Cove
  • water depth at port site can accommodate vessels of 12 m draft
  • avoids sensitive areas at Voisey's Bay
    		•
  • further from mill site than Voisey's Bay
    • Alternative 2 - Kangeklualuk Bay
  • avoids sensitive areas at Voisey's Bay
    		•
  • space is not adequate to safely turn a vessel around
    • Alternative 3 - Voisey's Bay
  • closest alternative to mill site
    		•
  • sensitive delta areas
  • shallow water at head of bay

    • While a port facility at Voisey's Bay would be the most economical option, its environmental sensitivity precludes it from consideration and the port location will be at Edward's Cove.


    3.5.1.3 Disposal of Tailings and Mineralized Mine Rock

     VBNC's current knowledge of the ore reserves and resources identified to date, market demand, and metal prices indicates that open pit mining is economically viable. Based on existing ore reserve information, the Project will begin with open pit mining, followed by underground mining. A design to proceed with underground mining is dependent upon the necessary confirmation of the resource identified as reserves and analysis of various geotechnical factors which will determine the required mining methods, which requires an underground exploration program. Given the additional work required before a sufficiently detailed mining plan for the underground can be developed, a staged approach will be taken to the disposal of tailings and mineralized (potentially acid generating) mine rock.

    Given this scenario, there are a number of issues that require the consideration of alternative means of dealing with tailings and mineralized mine rock during the life of the Project. These include:


    Method of Disposal

    While there are several alternative means for disposing of potential acid generating materials, there are relatively few options that are environmentally acceptable. Lake basin, valley deposition, on-land disposal, submarine disposal and mine backfilling are five alternative disposal methods that were considered during the screening process. On-land disposal has been eliminated due to difficulties associated with maintaining the tailings in a flooded condition, which is essential to restrict sulphide oxidation and prevent acid generation. The legislative constraints associated with submarine disposal were considered restrictive. Mine backfilling is considered impractical during the early stages of mine development (open pit) but will be considered following completion of open pit mining. Lake or valley deposition were therefore considered to be the most appropriate disposal alternatives.

    Siting of the Tailings and Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal Ponds

    Initial studies focused on identifying separate facilities for disposal of the tailings and the mineralized mine rock materials. Two significant environmental concerns were considered for the siting of these facilities:


    Tailings is a very fine solid waste material (like sand) mixed with water and rejected from a mill after most of the valuable minerals have been extracted.

    Reid Brook is the most prominent watershed on the VBNC Claim Block and contains a run of Arctic charr. Candidate sites were defined as any basin which has the capacity to contain the required volume of tailings or mineralized mine rock, could maintain a permanent water cover, and would discharge outside the Reid Brook watershed.

    As mineralized mine rock would be trucked for disposal, the distance criterion is relatively more stringent than for tailings, which is more economically transported by pipeline.

    A total of eight potential lake basin or valley deposition candidate sites were identified (Figure 3.3). These candidate sites were evaluated against a set of engineering and environmental criteria and constraints.

    Figure 3.3 Potential Sites for Tailings Disposal

    The following criteria have been identified as being critical with respect to reducing the environmental risk associated with the construction, operation and decommissioning of the tailings basin. These criteria include:


    Analysis of Alternative Tailings Disposal Sites

    All eight candidate sites were evaluated based on the above engineering and environmental criteria/constraints. Of the eight ponds examined,


    While it is within the Reid Brook watershed, Headwater Pond outflow can easily be diverted from its natural course, therefore this site was included in the evaluations.


    Three ponds meet the requisite requirements for a disposal site, namely Headwater Pond (Option No. 2), North Tailings Basin (Option No. 4), and Option No. 5. Headwater Pond is situated in a relatively steep sided basin approximately 8.5 km east of the mine site. The North Tailings Basin is approximately 6 km north of Headwater Pond, and Option No. 5 is approximately 2 km north of the North Tailings Basin.

    The advantages and disadvantages of the various alternatives are summarized in Table 3.8.

    Candidate sites must have sufficient storage capacity for the appropriate stage of mine development. Based on these considerations, and the phased approach (open pit mining followed by underground mining) to mine development, Headwater Pond (Option 2) is the preferred alternative for the co-disposal of the open pit tailings and mineralized mine rock.

    Rationale for Co-Disposal

    A key element of environmental planning is to provide sufficient storage capacity for the tailings and mineralized mine rock that will be produced during operations. VBNC has established stringent design criteria to accommodate tailings and mine rock resulting from the mining and milling of all anticipated mineral resources.

    Table 3.8 Tailings Disposal Site - Analysis of Alternatives
     
    Alternative Advantages Disadvantages
    Open Pit Mining
    Alternative 1 - Headwater Pond
    (Option 2)
    • adequate topographical containment area
    • sufficient storage capacity for tailings from proven resources
    • close to the mill (lower capital and operating costs)
    • allows for long-term closure and decommissioning monitoring and experience during life of underground mining
    • shorter tailings pipeline
    • Operating experience will be beneficial prior to extending pipeline to North Tailings Basin
    • discharge can be directed away from Reid Brook watershed
    • located at the head of the Reid Brook Valley watershed
     
    Alternative 2 - North Tailings Basin
    (Option 4)
    • adequate topographic containment
    • no discharges to the Reid Brook/Voisey's Bay system
    • very large storage capacity/dam volume ratio
    • potential for expansion
    • greater distance from mill than Headwater Pond
    • longer pipeline, resulting in higher capital and operating costs
    Underground Mining
    Alternative 1 -
    North Tailings Basin
    (Option 4)
    • adequate topographic containment
    • no discharges to the Reid Brook/Voisey's Bay system
    • large storage capacity/dam volume ratio
    • potential for expansion
    • greater distance from the mill compared to Headwater Pond
    Alternative 2 -
    (Option 5)
    • adequate topographic containment
    • suitable watershed
  • greater distance from mill than the North Tailings Basin
  • larger dam construction required

    • The site selection recommendations are based on the requirement to store tailings and mineralized mine rock generated from the total ore resource (estimated 150 million tonnes). One option for the disposal would be to develop a two basin concept, with all tailings to be deposited in North Tailings Basin and all mineralized mine rock in Headwater Pond. However, this concept does not take into consideration the uncertainty associated with the 150 million tonne ore reserve estimate. Should the total ore production be less than this, the above scheme could result in under-utilization of both sites. Based on this consideration, a phased, co-disposal approach has been developed.

    The rationale for the phased co-disposal approach is based on the premise that mining a total of 150 million tonnes from both the Ovoid and underground will produce 122.4 million tonnes (73 million m3) of tailings and 9.8 million tonnes of mine rock, all of which will be potentially acid generating. Of this total, the proven reserve in the Ovoid will generate approximately 25 million tonnes of tailings and 2 million tonnes of mineralized mine rock. The co-disposal option will first utilize the capacity in Headwater Pond for placement of the tailings generated during the open pit, plus all mineralized mine rock generated during the Project. The North Tailings Basin will be used for placement of the tailings generated from the underground mining operations. This can be summarized as:


    By consolidating tailings and mine rock management during the open pit operations, VBNC is taking a conservative approach to using natural basins.

    The following sections outline further advantages of the co-disposal option as an alternative means of handling the tailings and mine rock from the Project.

    Optimization of the Capacity of Headwater Pond

    The natural volume of Headwater Pond is approximately 15 million m3. This basin has a capacity significantly greater than the projected total storage requirement for mineralized mine rock that will be generated during the Project.

    Based on the available storage in Headwater Pond, it has been recommended that the remaining capacity of the basin be considered for tailings disposal. A scheme to co-dispose tailings and mineralized mine rock during the initial phases of the Project, with a combined projected total storage of approximately 18.5 million m3, has been developed. This scheme would result in minimal dam construction and facilitate the use of the full basin capacity.

    Opportunity to Monitor and Mitigate Potential Water Quality Effects

    The post decommissioning overflow from these facilities will require monitoring and possible treatment.

    Preliminary laboratory data suggest that the tailings generated from the predominantly massive sulphide zone of the Ovoid are potentially more reactive compared to the tailings generated from the disseminated underground ore zones. The Headwater Pond co-disposal scheme will therefore allow VBNC to isolate the more reactive Ovoid tailings and monitor performance during mine operation. The implementation of the post-tailings deposition water quality monitoring program during mine operation (i.e., North Tailings Basin operation) will provide an acceptable time frame for VBNC to monitor post closure performance in Headwater Pond prior to mine shut down, and implement remedial measures as necessary.

    Opportunity to Gain Operational Experience

    The start-up of mining operations in northern environments typically requires a longer commissioning period due to the extreme climatic conditions and remote location of the site.

    By maintaining shorter pipelines and a smaller Project footprint, potential operational difficulties and overall environmental risks are reduced. The pipeline to Headwater Pond will be constructed along relatively even terrain. As a result a lower pressure pipeline will be required, resulting in lower risk. A reduced footprint and a less complex pipeline system will allow VBNC to gain valuable operating experience prior to starting the underground phase of operations.

    Reduced Project Footprint

    During the planning and conceptual engineering stages of the Project, it was recognized that the overall proposed footprint of the Project is larger than that which would be required based solely on the current reserves of the Ovoid. The timing and extent of overall disturbance will be reduced by deferring the infrastructure associated with the North Tailings Basin. With this staged approach, the associated road and pipeline route for the North Tailings Basin will extend from Headwater Pond, and result in less total linear infrastructure. Furthermore, the total fill quantity required for containment dams is optimized (between Headwater Pond and the North Tailings Basin) and reduced appreciably for the North Tailings Basin.

    In addition, the area of potential flooding associated with the dams is approximately 36 ha for Headwater Pond and 110 ha for the North Tailings Basin. Thus, by using Headwater Pond before the North Tailings Basin, the potential area of disturbance for the Project is kept to a minimum.

    Future Options

    Phased commissioning will provide an opportunity to assess future alternatives for disposal of both tailings and mineralized mine rock. Further alternatives to the North Tailings Basin will be assessed during the open pit operations. The disposal either (i) underground or (ii) within the mined-out open pit will be evaluated. An economic and environmental evaluation of these options will be conducted based on data derived from operational experience.

    Summary

    By reviewing the overall approach to managing the major waste products associated with the Project, and applying the precautionary principle (as advocated in the Guidelines) to Project planning, VBNC has developed an improved scheme which elevates environmental performance and reduces both the area of disturbance and the possibility of upset conditions. As well, this approach protects future opportunities to improve waste management practices.


    3.5.1.4 Electric Power Supply

     Three primary alternatives for the electric power supply have been considered.

    Diesel Power Generation

    Diesel power is currently generated at Anaktalak Bay Exploration Camp and Voisey's Bay Exploration Camp. During the construction period, portable generators will be established at the plant site and near the shaft. During operation of the mine/mill, electrical power will be produced from diesel generators at the plant site. A single line distribution system will run from the plant to Headwater Pond, the port facilities, the airstrip, and the explosives storage area.

    Diesel power could be generated at either the port site or the plant site. The latter would be more economical than the port site. The diesel generators provide a high reliability and a short design and construction schedule. However, because a large percentage of the costs over the life of the Project are attributable to fuel, the power supply to the Project is vulnerable to any fuel cost escalation.

    Diesel power generation will result in air emissions of particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Low sulphur fuel and the use of combustion technology that reduces the formation of particulate and nitrogen oxides will reduce the level of emissions to the surrounding environment.

    Transmission Line Interconnection

    A transmission line has a lower operating cost than diesel power generation. Operating experience with long distance transmission facilities in Labrador has generally been excellent. The transmission line would require more time to design and construct, due to the longer time frame for environmental review and the longer construction period compared to diesel generators. As the transmission line will have to cover a long distance of approximately (400 km), crossing remote terrain, it would have greater exposure to weather conditions than diesel generators.

    Isolated Hydroelectric Generation

    Only the Kogaluk River is practical as a potential source of nearby hydroelectric power, but it would have to be supplemented with diesel generators in the winter months due to the reduced flow. In addition, a separate environmental review would be required.

    Analysis of Alternatives for Electric Power Supply

    The advantages and disadvantages of the three alternatives are summarized in Table 3.9.

    Table 3.9 Electric Power Supply - Analysis of Alternatives
    Alternative Advantages Disadvantages
    Alternative 1 - Diesel Power Generation
    • will provide a reliable and continuous source of electricity
    • involves a minimal amount of land disturbance
    • low capital cost
    • requires transport, handling and storage of diesel fuel
    • power costs dependent on cost of fuel
    • high operating cost
    Alternative 2 - Transmission Line from Existing
    Hydroelectric Facility
    • no fuel handling and storage required
    • low operating costs
    • will provide a reliable and continuous source of electricity
    • not currently available
    • no existing transmission line - construction of 400 km transmission line would involve land disturbance
    • would require separate environmental assessment
    • planning and construction would take a minimum of five years
    • some diesel power generation would be required for emergency backup
    Alternative 3 - Hydroelectric Generation Near Site
    • no fuel handling and storage required
    • low operating cost
     
    • not currently available
    • no proximate hydroelectric source
    • would require separate environmental assessment
    • diesel power generation would be required for emergency backup

    Alternative 1 is the preferred option since there is no transmission line grid or proximate hydroelectric source servicing the Voisey's Bay area. Consequently, on-site diesel power generation is the most feasible power supply for the Project.


    3.5.1.5 Accommodations

     Two alternatives for worker accommodations have been identified for the operations phase of the Project. Workers could be transported to and from the Project for specified periods (i.e., two weeks on the job, two weeks off the job) while their permanent dwelling is maintained elsewhere. Conversely, a second alternative would involve the construction of a complete new townsite near the Project. A brief identification of the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative is presented in Table 3.10.

    Table 3.10 Site Accommodations - Analysis of Alternatives
    Alternative Advantage Disadvantage
    Alternative 1 - Fly-in/Fly-out
     
    • attractive to work force
    • cost effective
    • flexible with minimal facilities required
    • consistent with current practice with northern mining operations
     
    • higher transportation costs
     
    Alternative 2 - Permanent town site
     
    • lower transportation costs
    • uneconomic
    • high costs to construct and maintain infrastructure
    • eventual abandonment
    • family disruption in relocating families

    Alternative 2 was discounted due to its uneconomic nature, the problems associated with family relocation and disruption, and the contradiction to current practice at other remote mining projects.

    Alternative 1 is the preferred option as it involves the least disruption to the socio-economic fabric of the surrounding region and to the province as a whole. This is particularly important at the end of the Project when the labour force decreases and the potential disruptions caused by loss of employment are not borne by a single, one-industry community.


    3.5.1.6 Airstrip Location

     It has been determined that the best orientation for an airstrip in the Project area is west-northwest. It has also been shown that the high frequency of low ceiling and overcast conditions in the area would favour a low elevation site close to sea level.

    A total of 26 sites were investigated as potential locations for the airstrip The selected site is located on the north shore of Voisey's Bay, south of Headwater Pond. It is the only site that meets all the necessary criteria, including safety, favourable meteorological conditions, favourable terrain conditions, and the ability to accommodate Dash 8 or equivalent aircraft.

    The Camp Pond site that was initially investigated for the exploration phase of the Project was found to have take-off corridors that are restricted by high terrain, and pose an unacceptable safety risk for aircraft operation.


    3.5.2 Best Operating Practice In Sub-Arctic Conditions

     The Project area offers challenges in that the operations will be situated in a sub-arctic environment. Northern mining operations have had good success in similar and more severe locations. The experience of other remote northern mining operations is being considered in the design of the Project. A number of measures will be employed to meet these challenges. In addition, Inco has experience in sub-Arctic conditions as it operates in similar latitudes at its facilities in Thompson, Manitoba.

    The Project facilities will be designed for the harsh sub-arctic environment. The accommodation complex at the plant site will be connected to other major surface buildings through the use of utilidors in order to reduce the exposure of workers to winter conditions. Employees will be instructed not to venture outdoors alone during white-out winter conditions. Strict procedures to protect the safety of vehicles and occupants will also be instituted during white-out conditions.


    3.5.2.1 Mining

     Crew shift changes will be performed at the services complex. Personnel will be bused to their work location where appropriate to avoid exposure to cold weather.

    Pit operations will be suspended when visibility conditions deteriorate to the point where operations are not safe. Open pit equipment will be used for snow clearing operations during storms. Vehicles such as graders will have the capability of using chains on tires for deep snow conditions. Some vehicles will have the capability of sanding the roads when icy conditions prevail. Emergency response crews and vehicles will be readily available in the event of a major storm. Operator cabs on all outdoor vehicles will be climatically controlled.

    Some open pit activities, such as explosives loading and surveying, will need to be performed in the outdoor environment. Winter preparedness training and proper use of winter protective gear will be of paramount importance for all employees involved in these activities.

    Heating of the air at the underground mine ventilation intakes will provide comfortable working temperatures. Appropriate fuels and/or heat regeneration systems will be used to heat the mine air.

    Although the existence of permafrost in the area is sporadic, the occurrence of any permafrost will be addressed in both the open pit overburden slopes and the underground mine entry collars. Previous experience obtained in the mining of Inco's Pipe Open Pit and the Thompson Open Pit in northern Manitoba will assist in addressing operational requirements and conditions. All anticipated issues associated with operating in sub-arctic conditions will be addressed. Apart from Inco's experience obtained in northern Manitoba, benchmarking against other northern operations such as the Red Dog Mine in Alaska has already commenced.


    3.5.2.2 Milling

    The Voisey's Bay mill will be a large, modern facility. The process flowsheet will consist of commercially proven equipment designs supplemented with the latest technologies for process control, monitoring, and on-stream analysis.

    Recent developments in process control, instrumentation, and communication technology will allow remote off-site monitoring and diagnostics capability for critical and complex equipment, where appropriate. This important capability will enable off-site suppliers to assist the Project's on-site staff in trouble-shooting and remediation of problems.

    A SAG mill is a large rotating cylindrical structure which utilizes steel balls to grind the ore into fine particles, approximately the size of sand.

    During the winter months, ore mined from the open pit will tend to freeze and solidify upon compaction if stockpiled and allowed to sit for any length of time. Communication and cooperation between the mine, crushing plant, and mill will be essential in order to maintain a steady flow of ore through the crushed ore stockpile and into the semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill. The covered crushed ore stockpile, located between the primary gyratory crusher and the SAG mill, has been designed according to similar installations at other severe climate northern operations. The operating objective will be to maintain a constant flow of ore from the open pit mine into the grinding circuit and to keep the crushed ore in a frozen state during winter months.

    Once the crushed ore has entered the grinding circuit, the mill process takes place in an enclosed, heated building where it will be unaffected by sub-arctic conditions.


    3.5.2.3 Water Management/Tailings/Mineralized Mine Rock

    The water and tailings management system includes several exterior pipelines of up to 12 km in length. The design and proposed operation of these facilities will be subjected to a formal hazard and operability review. The tailings line and the process, fresh, and reclaim water lines will be equipped with flow measuring instrumentation that can alert plant operators in the event of serious problems. Spill diversion, containment, and collection facilities will also be strategically located along the tailings and reclaim pipe routes as required. Exterior piping will be heat traced and insulated where required. Emergency standby generators will be located in order to maintain flow in critical pipelines and thus prevent freezing in the event of a power failure. Tailings will continue to be placed underwater once the tailings ponds start to freeze over. All discharges from tailings ponds will be treated before release to the environment. Mineralized mine rock will be placed in Headwater Pond in a submerged manner throughout the year in order to reduce oxidation.


    3.5.2.4 Construction Methods

     Heavily loaded buildings or structures and those with vibratory or machine foundations, such as the crusher and the grinding mills, will be founded on bedrock where required. Most building and structure foundations will be designed for conventional shallow foundations and footings bearing on undisturbed natural soil. The geotechnical investigation program conducted in the areas of the proposed plant site and port site showed discontinuous permafrost at the port site only. Permafrost was not found in any of the geotechnical boreholes drilled at the plant site area. In the locations where sporadic permafrost was encountered, the interval thicknesses were less than a few metres and relatively warm (greater than -0.5° C below depth of seasonal ground temperature fluctuation). In general, possible occurrences of sporadic permafrost appear to be limited to north-facing slopes and within some sheltered, low-lying areas.
    Construction of site infrastructure will affect the ground thermal regime and cause permafrost, where it occurs, to degrade or aggrade. Degradation of permafrost as a direct result of thermal changes may affect soil stability in locations where permafrost soils are susceptible to thaw subsidence due to the presence of excess ground ice conditions. Terrain effects on thaw-sensitive soils will be mitigated by design measures aimed at either preserving or enhancing the permafrost (most likely method for linear construction features) or by eliminating the potential effects of the permafrost (most likely method for buildings or structures).

    Most of the heavy loaded buildings and structures will be located in the plant site area where special construction methods are not anticipated. In this location, the greater risk to foundations is seasonal frost heave due to freezing of the upper several meters. Foundations will be embedded below the maximum design seasonal frost depth. In cases where this depth is considered excessive for a particular building or structure application, high density styrofoam may be incorporated to reduce the frost penetration depth.

    In other areas of the proposed site development where buildings or structures are located in ice-rich or thaw-unstable permafrost, construction methods will be adopted to either isolate the foundations from the permafrost or preserve the permafrost. Methods of foundation isolation include either over-excavation and backfill, or transferring the building loads to deeper stable foundations soils or bedrock (i.e., piling).


    3.5.2.5 Effects of the Environment on the Project

     The local environmental conditions will affect the design and operation of the Project. The Project will be planned with full consideration of the environmental setting. The primary conditions that will affect the Project's design and operation are the sub-Arctic climate including discontinuous permafrost and remoteness of the site. Other environmental factors that will affect the Project are the surface and groundwater conditions, the nature of the massive sulphide mineralization, and the presence of fish and wildlife habitat.

    Outside water lines must be insulated or heat traced to prevent freeze-up. Buildings will be connected by utilidor corridors to reduce personnel exposure to the weather. Buildings and air intakes will be elevated to reduce snow drifting and snow intake. Employees will be instructed to take specific safety precautions during white-out winter conditions.

    The Project site is remote from developed areas with existing infrastructure for transportation and power distribution. Provision has been made in the Project plan for marine and air transport of personnel, concentrate and supplies. Bulk carriers with ice-breaking capability will transport equipment and concentrate to and from the site. Dash 8 or equivalent, and smaller aircraft will be used to transport personnel to the site from Happy Valley-Goose Bay and certain other communities. Power will be provided for Project operations by on-site diesel generators, and will be distributed by aerial lines to the port site, Headwater Pond, the North Tailings Basin, the explosive plant, and the airstrip.

    Foundations will take into account any permafrost encountered in geotechnical drill holes. Where required, thermal isolation between permafrost and constructed facilities will be maintained. The airstrip and roads will incorporate limited frost susceptible materials to reduce frost heave and instability problems during thaws. Pit slopes, road cuts and tailing dam designs will also have to take into account any permafrost encounter to ensure stability during periods of thaw.


    3.6 Construction

     Site construction will commence after Project release is received. The planned construction schedule is provided on Figure 3.4. Site construction, including commissioning, is expected to take place over a period of 25 months, which would result in first concentrate production by the end of the year 2000.

    During the construction period, project management and administration personnel will be located at site. Happy Valley-Goose Bay will function primarily as a staging point for construction personnel. Components will be constructed using a modular design. The location of design, engineering, and fabrication activities will be determined by commercial and shipping considerations.

    Construction and site development will include:


    Refer to Chapter 4, Environmental, Health and Safety Management System.


    During the construction period, all activities will comply with the Construction Environmental Protection Plans. All contractors will provide Environment, Health and Safety staff at site to ensure that Project activities are conducted in accordance with the Plan.

    Figure 3.4 Construction Schedule


    3.6.1 Site Preparation and Support During Construction

     A temporary construction camp and materials storage or laydown area will be built approximately 1 km north of the mine/mill site adjacent to the access road from Edward's Cove. Construction materials and supplies will mostly arrive by supply vessel at Edward's Cove where a temporary timber crib dock and an approximate 90 m long rock causeway will provide access to land. Additional camp facilities will be constructed with requisite sewage, water management, and fuel storage systems to facilitate construction activities.

    The temporary dock at Edward's Cove is designed to be installed without the need for underwater blasting. Limited dredging may be required, in which case the dredged solids would be stored on land for future use in the reclamation stages of the Project. In addition, rock fill materials for both the crib and causeway will be clean, non-contaminated blasted rock from a nearby quarry.

    The temporary construction camps, services and laydown area will be dismantled and rehabilitated once they are no longer required. Topsoil removed and stored during initial site preparation will be returned and spread over the site for progressive reclamation.


    3.6.1.1 Accommodations During Construction

     Accommodations during construction will consist of existing and additional trailer units at the Anaktalak Bay Exploration camp and near the proposed plant and accommodations site.

    The Voisey's Exploration Camp will be dismantled during the construction period. All structures, including boardwalks, will be removed. Disturbed surface areas will be stabilized. The Anaktalak Bay Exploration Camp will be dismantled and the area rehabilitated once the camp is no longer required.


    3.6.1.2 Water and Sewage Systems

     Freshwater Requirements

    Approximately 300 litres of potable water per person will be required each day (approximately 210,000 litres per day at peak workforce levels). Potable water will be obtained from a well field established close to the plant site. Water will be supplied via a pipeline to the construction camp. At the Anaktalak Bay Exploration Camp, water will be supplied from wells installed behind the existing camp.

    Sewage Treatment

    Sewage treatment facilities will be installed for the construction camp near the proposed plant site. During the construction period, the effluent from the sewage treatment plant will be discharged into Camp Pond. All treated effluent discharges from sewage treatment plants will meet regulatory requirements


    3.6.1.3 Waste Management During Construction

     Waste generated on-site will be collected, stored, and disposed of according to the environmental regulations of Newfoundland and Labrador. The storage and transport of all waste will conform with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and the Newfoundland and Labrador Waste Material Disposal Act and accompanying regulations.

    Combustible waste generated during construction will be collected and stored in covered, bear-proof metal containers prior to incineration on site. A new incinerator will be installed near the construction camp with a capacity of approximately  100 kg/hr. Ash from the incinerator and other non-combustible waste will be placed in an approved landfill site.


    3.6.1.4 Power Supply During Construction

     The construction of facilities at the plant site will require approximately 5 MW of power, which will be supplied by portable diesel generators installed at the plant site.


    3.6.1.5 Fuel Requirements and Storage During Construction

     Estimates of fuel requirements are provided in Table 3.11.

    Table 3.11 Fuel Requirements During Construction
    Construction Year Fuel Type Requirements
    1 Diesel
    Gasoline    		 24 million litres
    900,000 litres
    2 Diesel
    Gasoline    		 30 million litres
    1.7 million litres

    To meet the fuel requirements during the construction period, one tank will be constructed at the permanent tank farm to the east of Anaktalak Bay Exploration Camp. This tank will provide a storage capacity of approximately 10 million litres. The existing temporary fuel tankage will be removed upon completion of construction and the area will be rehabilitated. All temporary and permanent fuel storage tanks will have appropriate dyke designs that conform with Newfoundland Department of Environment and Labour and National Fire Code of Canada requirements for storage and handling of these products.


    3.6.1.6 Construction Earth Works

     Cut and fill earth work methods will be used at the following locations:


    Table 3.12 provides a summary of estimated excavation and fill quantities involved at these locations.

    Crossing of Streams

    Crossing of streams will be required for the construction of site roads and infrastructure. Culverts will be installed at stream crossing locations on site roads. All stream crossings will be constructed/carried out in accordance with the procedures outlined in VBNC's Environmental Protection Plan.

    Table 3.12 Estimated Excavation and Fill Quantities
    Location Rock Excavation
    (m3)    		 Common Excavation
    (m3)    		 Excavation of unsuitable Mat.(m3) Borrow
    Rock
    (m3)    		 Borrow Common Mat. (m3)
    port development 50,000 700,000 90,000 260,000 50,000
    roads 250,000 0 60,000 1,700,000 80,000
    airstrip 0 0 100,000 400,000 0
    mill yard 500,000 1,400,000 640,000 500,000 50,000
    tailings pipe lines 20,000 40,000 50,000 0 270,000
    Totals 820,000 2,140,000 940,000 2,860,000 450,000

    Culverts will be aligned such that the original direction of flow is not significantly altered. Crossings will be at right angles to streams where possible. Approaches to all stream crossings will be constructed with erosion resistant materials such as rock or clean gravel. Any materials placed in the stream to improve the crossing site will be clean, non-erodible and non-toxic to aquatic life.

    Culvert installations in streams which are deemed to be fish habitat will be designed to allow the passage of fish and preserve habitat. Cylindrical culverts will be countersunk below stream beds so that there is a sufficient depth of water for fish passage. In multiple culvert installations, this will be accomplished by installing one culvert at an elevation lower than the others. In wide and particularly sensitive crossings, appropriate structures will be used to reduce the disturbance of the stream bed and preserve the natural substrate for resident fish populations. The stipulations of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans will be incorporated as required.

    For construction of power lines throughout the Project site, access for construction will, for the most part, be available from the access roads and service roads. Where this is not practical, watercourses may be forded. The immediate area will be stabilized by the use of brush mats, corduroy, or coarse clean gravel fill. When fording any watercourse, the Environmental Guidelines for Fording from the Newfoundland Department of Environment and Labour, Water Resources Division will be applied.

    Any leakage or spills from the tailings and reclaim water pipelines at the major stream crossings will be contained to avoid discharging to the stream by routing the pipes in culvert sections for a nominal distance of about 15 m on either side of the stream. The pipes will be installed within a trench section sloping continuously back to the emergency dump pond located near the mill.


    3.6.1.7 Blasting Activities During Construction

    Mine Development

    During the construction period, it is estimated that a total of approximately 10 million tonnes of material will be pre-stripped from the open pit. Of this total, approximately 9 million tonnes is overburden consisting of glacial tills and boulders. This material will require only minimal blasting of boulders. The remaining 800,000 tonnes consists of mine rock and disseminated ore. The removal of this material will require blasting.

    Pre-production stripping will begin with the dry portions of overburden on the mid to upper flank of Discovery Hill and move down to the main portion of overburden in the centre of the pit during the winter months. Intermittent blasting (approximately once per week) will be required to break up boulders, as well as to loosen frost caps during the winter months. During the last three months, just prior to full production, it is expected that blasts will occur every other day as the pit is prepared for production and benches are established.

    The rock to be blasted is expected to be dry. It is anticipated that a non-water resistant ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosive (ANFO) will be used as the primary blasting agent with primers, non-electric down hole delays, and surface detonating cord.

    The bulk ammonium nitrate (AN) portion of the explosives will be stored in a temporary silo facility erected near the construction camp. Detonators and primers will be stored in temporary magazines approximately 800 m to the south of the open pit. All explosive magazines will be constructed and operated to meet regulations.

    Ammonium nitrate and fuel oil will be transported to the site by ships or barges. The ammonium nitrate will be transferred from bulk containers and delivered to the silo facility. The ANFO will be loaded by gravity from the silo into an explosives mix truck on site. Explosives will be transported by trucks which satisfy the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

    Infrastructure Development

    Blasting during the construction period will occur at the following locations:


    It is anticipated that blasting frequency at each of these locations will be one or two times per week.


    3.6.2 Pre-Stripping

     Overburden includes soil, till, or loose rock that is located above the proposed open pit development. Overburden must be removed prior to mining.

    Approximately 9 million tonnes of unconsolidated overburden and 800,000 tonnes of mine rock will be removed during the construction period to prepare the Ovoid for open pit development and production. An additional 8 million tonnes of mine rock will be removed in the first two years of open pit mining.

    The overburden removed during pre-stripping activities will be stockpiled in an area immediately south of the open pit, identified as the South Overburden Storage Facility (Figure 3.5). The estimated size of the storage area is 22 ha based on a design angle of 20 degrees to ensure a stable structure. In addition, a small stockpile (4 ha) for peat and organic materials removed from the open pit development area will be located at the east end of this facility. This stockpile will be used for surface preparation in areas to be re-vegetated during reclamation activities.

    Figure 3.5 Open Pit Mine Site

    Mineralized and non-mineralized mine rock removed during pre-stripping will be separated according to sulphur content. Rock which has a sulphur content greater than 0.2% will be classified as mineralized mine rock and disposed of in Headwater Pond. Submersion of mineralized rock prevents oxidation of the sulphide to sulphuric acid. Otherwise, water quality would be directly affected and metals would be dissolved, which further affects water quality.

    Non-mineralized rock, with a sulphur content of less than 0.2% sulphur, will be stored above ground in two designated storage sites identified as the North and the East Mine Rock Storage Facilities. These facilities will continue to be used during open pit operations and will cover an area of approximately 45 ha.

    The South Overburden Storage Facility will be re-graded and progressively reclaimed during the life of the Project.


    3.6.3 Storm Water Management

     The construction of storm water management control facilities, such as sedimentation ponds, site drainage ditches and diversion structures and channels, must be completed prior to initiation of site re-grading and pre-stripping operations. Within the mine area during construction, the South Sedimentation Pond will contain run-off from the South Overburden Storage, the Peat and Organics Storage and the North and East Mine Rock Storage facilities. Within the mill area the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond will contain runoff from the mill site and the North Mine Rock Storage.

    Within the port facility, settling ponds will be constructed to receive surface water runoff from the port area.


    3.6.4 Tailings and Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal

     Headwater Pond will be contained so that mineralized mine rock and tailings can be placed underwater in the pond. Tailings will subsequently be disposed in the North Tailings Basin during the underground mining operations. All mineralized mine rock generated during the life of the Project will be placed in Headwater Pond. Roads and pipelines to Headwater Pond will be completed during the initial construction period, whereas the road and pipeline construction to the North Tailings Basin will be completed prior to underground operations. Dam construction at Headwater Pond and the North Tailings Basin will be staged over the life of the Project.


    3.6.4.1 Tailings During Open Pit Operations and Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal

    Headwater Pond is situated approximately 8.5 km east of the Ovoid. The pond is located in a bedrock rimmed basin surrounded by ridges which rise 100 to 150 m above the existing lake level to a maximum elevation of about 250 m above sea level (asl). The pond has a natural volume of about 15 million m3.

    At the western outlet, Headwater Pond drains into Otter Pond, which subsequently discharges into Camp Pond and eventually Reid Brook. This subwatershed system drains a total area of about 24 km2 and is covered by extensive wooded areas. It drains elevations extending up to 250 to 300 m above sea level in the eastern portion of the watershed.

    The current surface water level of Headwater Pond is 92 m asl. The average depth of Headwater Pond is about 10.3 m, with a maximum depth of about 32.8 m. The total Headwater Pond watershed area of 351 ha includes 212 ha of land surrounding the pond and 139 ha of water surface area.

    The Headwater Pond facility will include the construction of the following principal elements:


    The pond will initially be pumped down to an elevation of 84 m asl removing about 8 million m3 of water. Tailings and mineralized mine rock placement will begin following pumpdown.

    No surface water diversions will be required as part of the operation of Headwater Pond.

    Foundation preparation work will be completed for Dams H1 and H2 as part of the initial phase of construction. This work will involve the excavation of unsuitable foundation soils and rock, blanket grouting of the shallow bedrock, and construction of a grout curtain for seepage control.

    The construction of two perimeter dams will be required to allow containment and placement of approximately 27.1 million tonnes of tailings and 10 million tonnes of mineralized mine rock. The location of the perimeter dams and the general layout of the facility is shown in Figure 3.6 A typical cross-section schematic of Dam H2 at Headwater Pond is shown in Figure 3.7.


    3.6.4.2 Tailings Disposal During Underground Mining

     The North Tailings Basin is situated within a bedrock-dominated basin, within the barren uplands, about 10 km northeast of the mine site (Figure 3.2). The site consists of a three lake system, with the main lake basin aligned approximately east-west, east lake aligned approximately north-south, and a small circular-shaped lake situated north of the main lake. The bedrock ridges surrounding the basin rise steeply to approximately 100 to 200 m above the level of the lakes.

    Figure 3.6 Headwater Pond Co-Disposal Area

    At the south outlet of the east lake, the system drains to Kangeklualuk Bay, situated approximately 3 km southeast.

    The current surface water elevation of the main lake is approximately 131.5 m above sea level. This lake is approximately 3 km in length with an area of about 1.3 km2. Bathymetric data indicates that this lake has an average depth of about 13 m, with maximum depths of about 40 m.

    The east lake immediately downstream of the tailings basin is approximately 2 m in elevation below the main basin. It is approximately 1.5 km in length with a surface area of about 0.4 km2. Bathymetric data indicates that this lake has a maximum depth of approximately 30 m.

    The small lake to the north of the main basin is approximately 134.5 m elevation. It is about 0.4 km in length, with a surface area of approximately 0.13 km2. The three existing lakes currently have a natural storage capacity of approximately 30 million m3 which will be increased by the construction of dams to accommodate the tailings during underground operations.

    Figure 3.7 Typical Cross-Section - Schematic of Dam H2


    The North Tailings Basin will include the following principal elements:


    Before tailings deposition into the North Tailings Basin may occur, a pump down of the upper and lower basins is necessary. The main basin will be pumped down to an elevation of 128 m (removing 4 million m3 of water). The net inflow that accumulates each year will discharge to the environment through a treatment plant, if necessary. Following pumpdown of the main basin, the lower basin will essentially be pumped dry. Tailings deposition could begin in the upper basin following pumpdown.

    Dam N1 is a small control structure between the upper and lower basins that will be built to full height during initial construction. The diversion structures, Dams N4 and N5, will be built to full height initially. Secondary access roadways will be required between all of these dam locations for both construction and maintenance purposes.

    Construction will also include installation of the tailings pipeline, pump system, water recirculation pipeline, power line, and upstream watershed diversions. Since the main tailings basin pond will be pumped down to approximately elevation 128 m prior to operations, construction of the surface water treatment facility may not be required until at least two years following the initial use of the basin.

    Dams N2, N3, and N6 can be stage developed as the basin fills with tailings. The foundation work and initial lift of each of these structures will be completed during construction.

    Six dams will be required for the development of the North Tailings Basin to permit placement of 95.3 million tonnes (59.6 million m3) of tailings. The location and general arrangement of the tailings basin perimeter dams are shown in Figure 3.8. A typical cross-section schematic of Dam N2 is shown in Figure 3.9. Within the tailings basin, construction of these dams will allow containment of the tailings and diversion of water from the upstream watershed area. The predicted maximum post-closure water level within the tailings basin is about 149 m.

    In general, the total volume of earth dams is small when compared to the overall basin capacity. The basin to dam volume ratio for the North Tailings Basin is about 90:1. Five of the six dams planned for the tailings basin will be earthen structures, whereas one structure (Dam N1) will be a water retaining structure initially, but will later be completed as an access causeway between the main and eastern ponds.


    Figure 3.8 North Tailings Basin Layout


    The discharge pipeline will be constructed from the North Tailings Basin Dam N2 (intake) and will follow a route initially in a southwest direction, and then a southeast direction to the north shore of Kangeklualuk Bay. The outfall will be via a submerged diffuser located on the floor of Kangeklualuk Bay. The pipeline will commence from the downstream toe of Dam N2, and generally follow the valley of the existing stream course over a distance of approximately 3500 m, with an associated decrease in elevation of about 130 m (average 4% gradient). The pipeline will be constructed principally above ground. A service road will be constructed to allow access for inspection and servicing.


    3.6.4.3 Construction of Dams and Embankments

    The embankment dam elements and the associated construction material for both the North Tailings Basin and Headwater Pond include the following:


    The construction of all dams will require the temporary diversion of surface water around the dam construction area. All overburden materials and loose bedrock will be excavated from the dam foundation areas. The rock surface will be completely exposed by pressure washing or dental excavation techniques. The fracture patterns within the exposed rock surface will be mapped and evaluated. Conventional cement pressure grouting methods will be used to reduce the near-surface bedrock permeability. Following grouting, the bedrock surface will be prepared for placement of granular materials. To limit seepage through the founding soils, a seepage cut-off wall is planned through the looser surficial deposits at the north Section of Dam H2. The core and filter materials will be placed in 0.3 m lifts along the entire dam alignment, followed by the shell materials. The dam will be constructed in a series of lifts, using conventional zoned embankment construction methods.

    Figure 3.9 Typical Cross-Section - Main Dam at North Tailings Basin


    3.6.4.4 Surface Water Diversion Requirements

     Diversion channels will be constructed to divert streams around the North Tailings Basin during its operational life. Surface water will be diverted around the North Tailings Basin for the purposes of reducing water inflow and water treatment, if necessary, while maintaining a suitable water cover.

    A small stream flowing to the west past the Ovoid open pit will be diverted around the South Overburden Storage Facility (Figure 3.5). A stream flowing from the east will be diverted south to Reid Brook. Both cases involve re-directing flows within natural watersheds.

    At the port site, surface drainage above the site will be intercepted and re-directed away from the site.


    3.6.5 Roads, Pipelines and Distribution Lines

     From about 1778 until 1960 the Moravian Missionary in Nain used hollowed out spruce logs to pipe water to the Mission House. The manual auger used to drill the holes, and the contract to supply the wooden pipes was given to Amos Voisey: " We used to do three a day. Bore right through the heart of a stick. Oh twas hard work, boy. A lot of water will run through a three inch hole". Ed Voisey in Them Days. Vol. 22, No 2, p142.

    Access, service, and haulage roads will be constructed to various facilities located on site. Water reclamation and tailings pipelines will be constructed alongside the road to Headwater Pond and eventually to the North Tailings Basin. Power distribution lines will also be constructed alongside the road from the substation at the plant site to Headwater Pond, the North Tailings Basin, the airstrip, the port site, and within the plant site. Potable water pipelines will be constructed along the access road from the drilled wells within the Reid Brook valley to the accommodations area. A pipeline will be constructed from the water treatment plant to Edward's Cove. A pipeline will be constructed from the South Sedimentation Pond to the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond.


    3.6.5.1 Roads


    Main Access Road

    The main access road connecting the port site to the plant site will provide the main travel route between major site facilities and permit safe concentrate haulage. The road alignment will follow the east-side of the north-south trending valley which connects Voisey's Bay and Anaktalak Bay. The road length will be approximately 11 km, and will be constructed with borrow fill and topped with 200 mm of granular base.

    The anticipated design parameters for the main access road are as follows:


    Service Roads

    The anticipated design parameters for the service roads are as follows:


    Service roads include the road from Headwater Pond to the North Tailings Basin and the road to the airstrip.

    Haulage Roads

    Haulage roads will be constructed for regular use by ore and mine rock haulage trucks. The main haulage roads are:


    These roads will be constructed for use by the mine haulage trucks and other production equipment, and designed to meet appropriate provincial safety regulations. Approximately 12 km of haulage roads will be constructed using non-mineralized mine rock from the initial mine development where possible, and suitable barren material. Road granular topping will be 300 mm thick.

    The anticipated design parameters for the haulage roads are as follows:


    Taking into account other auxiliary roads, the total length of all roads will be about 44 km, which will result in a total disturbed surface area of approximately 150 ha. Typical cross-sections of the site roads are illustrated in Figure 3.10.


    3.6.5.2 Pipelines and Power Lines

     The water management plan at the site includes the construction and operation of six major pipeline systems. The pipeline routes have been selected based on terrain conditions. Each pipeline corridor will consist of an above ground pipeline and associated roadway (Figure 3.11). The proposed design and operation of these facilities will be subjected to a formal hazard and operability review. The following main pipeline routes have been selected:


    Although the routing of these pipelines has been selected, the detailed engineering design of these pipelines is currently ongoing. The following points outline the general design considerations which will be taken into account:


    Examples of typical cross-sections for the roadways and pipeline beds are shown in Figures 3.10 and 3.11.

    Figure 3.10 Cross-Section - Typical Road
    Figure 3.11 Tailings Reclaim Pipeline and Associated Roads

    Electrical Distribution Lines

    Electrical distribution lines will originate from the electrical substation at the plant site. Aerial 25 kV distribution lines on wood poles will be located adjacent to the site road to facilitate inspection and maintenance. This will reduce the amount of land which will be disturbed for installing the power supply system throughout the site. Distribution lines will be built from the mill site to:



    3.6.5.3 Construction Methods

     Sedimentation ponds will be constructed before starting major earthworks in order to reduce the effects on water quality. The sequence of construction will commence with the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond, followed by the Surge Pond and the South Sedimentation Pond. During subsequent construction these facilities will receive any process water or runoff from site and will be operated to provide a discharge to the environment that meets the required standards.

    Construction phase water management involves pumping water from the South Sedimentation Pond and the Surge Pond to the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond. These waters combine with the local area drainage from the mill site and will be decanted as required to Camp Pond during construction.

    Releases of water containing silt will be reduced. Further mitigation, from the beginning of construction, will be provided by the placement of siltation control structures in strategic natural drainage locations to control the distribution of silt.

    Roads will be constructed using conventional cut-and-fill techniques. Fill requirements for road construction will consist of dry, granular, and ice-free material taken from borrow pits and quarries. Non-mineralized mine rock from the open pit development may be used for construction of the haulage road to Headwater Pond.

    Clearing techniques will reduce surface disturbance and prevent erosion and sedimentation of surface water courses. The organic mat will be left intact as much as possible under the roadway right-of-way. Timber greater than 75 mm in diameter will be cut into 1.2 and 2.5 m lengths and stockpiled on site in areas selected by VBNC.

    The site roads will cross several streams with intermittent flow. These will require the installation of culverts or low profile arches. Stream crossings will be constructed in compliance with existing legislation. The culverts will be sized to handle the 1 in 25 year return period flood. Installation of the stream crossings will follow accepted engineering and construction practices to accommodate spring runoff conditions and comply with regulatory requirements.

    Installation of a 25 kV distribution line will involve soil excavation for placement of the poles and backfilling. The pole heights will be adjusted to maintain adequate mid-span ground clearance under maximum sag conditions. Where thin soils or shallow bedrock occur and the required embedment is not possible, the pole will be supported in an above-ground, rock-filled timber crib.

    Permafrost

    The likelihood of sporadic permafrost occurrences along the rights-of-way are minimal. However, construction methods have been selected that will accommodate or mitigate permafrost conditions where they occur.

    Where permafrost is encountered, roads will be constructed by placing fill over the intact organic mat to help maintain thermal protection and to prevent thawing of the underlying permafrost. Alternatively, the additional insulating barrier requirement may be provided by high density styrofoam substitution.

    Equalization culverts may also be installed along road sections traversing permafrost areas to reduce the formation of shallow surface ponds along the toe of fill side-slopes. Such ponds could change the surface thermal balance and cause progressive thaw-subsidence of the road embankment.


    3.6.6 Buildings and Structures

     Buildings and other large structures will be required at the plant site and port site. The plant site consists of the mill, accommodations complex, power plant and substation, maintenance/services complex, cold storage building, laydown area, sedimentation pond, and crusher. The port site consists of the dock, marshalling area, and concentrate storage facilities.


    3.6.6.1 Plant Site

     The plant site (Figure 3.12) will be located approximately 1 km north of the Ovoid open pit (Figure 3.5). The site has been located so that the principal mill components will be founded directly on bedrock. The maximum dimensions of the plant site will be approximately 500 m by 1,200 m.

    Figure 3.12 Plant Site Layout

    Plant Site Development

    The plant site will comprise an area of approximately 60 hectares. Approximately 30% of this area will include mass excavation of common material and rock. The maximum cut is approximately 23 m. The non-mineralized excavated rock may be used to construct the embankments in the 70% fill area. There will not be enough rock excavated to construct all the fill area and the deficit will be made up from non-mineralized mine rock excavated from the open pit stripping or designated borrow pits.

    Excavation material that is not suitable for structural fill will be placed in overburden storage areas, rock quarries, or borrow pits. Final site grading will use 200 to 300 mm of granular base material.

    The plant site will be graded so that run-off will flow towards the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond. It is estimated that the average operating runoff is 53.5 m3/hour or a total of approximately 470,000 m3 per year. A peak runoff is forecast to be about 317 m3/hour. Contamination from the mill yard will be minimal since servicing of vehicles will be carried out inside the service building and reagents handled inside the process plant.

    Fresh/Fire Water

    Water for fire protection, the process plant, and the plant site will be supplied from Camp Pond. Estimated demand is 1.1 million m3 per year. A pumping facility will be built adjacent to Camp Pond. Submersible turbine pumps will pump water to a reservoir at the plant site. Pumps will be sized to meet the peak daily water flow requirements.

    Potable Water

    Potable water will be supplied from a well field located approximately 2 km north of the plant site, west of the port access road near Reid Brook. Demand is estimated to be approximately 300 litres per person per day which equates to an average daily demand of about 105,000 litres for the permanent accommodations population of 350 persons. Submersible pumps will transfer pump water from the deep wells to a chlorination and pumping facility. The facility will include a chlorination system, a 60,000 litre storage tank, and a booster pump system. Water will be supplied to the plant site via an insulated pipeline located adjacent to the access road.

    As the workforce expands with the development of the underground mine, additional wells will be drilled.

    Sewage Collection and Treatment

    Sewage from the plant site will be treated at the permanent treatment plant. It will be located in the north-eastern corner of the plant site. The sewage treatment plant will be a sequencing batch reactor type plant or equivalent.

    During the construction period, the treated effluent may be discharged into Camp Pond. During the operation period, the treated effluent will be discharged into Edward's Cove. All discharges from the Sewage Treatment System will meet the requirements of the Water and Sewage Regulations.

    Plant Site - Fuel Storage Facility

    Fuel storage at the mill site will be designed for a 10 day reserve. Valving will be provided to enable dual supply and return of fuel to boilers, dryers, and generators.

    Two refuelling stations will be provided, one for concentrate haul trucks and site mobile equipment, and the second for the mine haul trucks and mine equipment.

    A diesel fuel dispensing tank with a capacity for approximately 50,000 litres, will be installed adjacent to bulk fuel tanks for supply of fuel to dispensing pumps, servicing concentrate haul trucks and site vehicles other than mine mobile equipment.

    The mine truck and mobile equipment fuel/lubricant/coolant dispensing station will be equipped with a fuel storage tank with a capacity of approximately 50,000 litres.

    A bulk diesel fuel storage area will be built near the mill building with a capacity for approximately 2 million litres of diesel fuel for the generators located in the power plant. The fuel storage area will be approximately 20 m by 65 m. All tanks will be appropriately dyked to contain any spills or leakage. Concrete containment pads will be provided at the re-fuelling and unloading stations to contain any spills or leakage during vehicle fuelling. Wall hydrants along the mill building will provide fire protection.

    All fuel tank spacing and containment dyke designs will conform with the Newfoundland Department of Environment and Labour regulations and the National Fire Code of Canada.

    A tank with an approximate capacity of 30,000 litres will be installed adjacent to the plant site bulk diesel fuel tanks for temporary storage of waste oil. This tank will also be installed within an appropriate containment dyke.

    Plant Buildings

    The mill process and the equipment that will be installed in the mill is described in greater detail in Section 3.8.2.

    The mill building to be constructed at the plant site will be approximately 78 m by 206 m and have an approximate height of 26 m. Adjoining it will be the Water Treatment Plant

    A power plant building will be constructed adjacent to the mill and will be approximately 65 m long by 20 m wide and 20 m high at the roof peak, with an adequately sized exhaust stack. A control room will be housed in the east end of the power plant building. Stack and ventilation silencers and acoustic design will prevent noise levels outside the power plant exceeding the regulated limits. Initially, diesel generators designed to provide approximately 30 MW peak, plus two emergency generators of approximately 2MW each will be installed. Power will be generated at 4160 volts for site use and stepped up to 25 kV for distribution via overhead power lines. Exhaust gases will be used for drying of concentrates and to supplement heating requirements.

    The accommodations complex will be built approximately 200 m east of the mill and will consist of prefabricated modular units. It will initially be designed to accommodate 350 people. Provision will be made for future expansion based upon the underground mining phase of the Project. The complex will consist of four accommodations wings, three storeys each, arranged around a central hub. The central hub will be connected to a services core building by means of a walkway at the second floor level. The entire complex will be complete with all equipment, furniture, fittings and fixtures.

    Portions of the complex will be elevated on steel beams to prevent snow drifting.

    The plumbing system will be installed according to the National Plumbing Code. The heating and ventilation will conform to American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers standards. The heating medium will be glycol based and be pumped from the diesel power plant heat recovery system.

    The facility will be connected to a standby emergency generator which will maintain essential services in the event of power failure.

    The services complex and near-by storage building will be steel-framed buildings. The services complex will include facilities for the maintenance and servicing of the mine and plant mobile equipment, worker change houses warehousing and storage, and offices for mine and administration personnel. The cold storage building will provide approximately 2200 m2 of unheated storage and approximately 1100 m2 of heated storage space.

    Utilidor links will connect the services complex, the plant building, and the accommodations complex. In addition to providing pedestrian circulation, the utilidors will provide an insulated environment for the interconnecting services for these facilities. Other site infrastructure will include:


    A Sedimentation Pond is a pond where water from mine and mill operations is placed so that impurities (dirt and grit) can sink to the bottom of the pond, thereby clarifying the decant (i.e., overflow discharge.)



    3.6.6.2 Port Site

    A port facility for storing and loading concentrate and offloading and marshalling materials and supplies from ships and barges will be constructed at Edward's Cove, Anaktalak Bay (Figure 3.13).

    Materials handling will be performed using a crane, either mounted on the ship (depending on the selected contractor) or at port side, container handlers, and forklifts for smaller supplies. All activities will be performed safely using standard marine freight loading and unloading practices.

    Figure 3.13 Port Facility, Edward's Cove

    Port Concentrate Storage Yard Site Development

    The developed area for concentrate storage will be approximately 40 hectares, which will include the 500 m x 55 m concentrate storage building, port administration building, and two concentrate unloading stations. In addition, there will be a laydown area on both sides of the shipping dock for approximately 2000 containers.

    The yard development will consist of mass excavation of approximately 700,000 m³ of common material and rock. Maximum cut depth will be about 25 m and back slopes will be benched to reduce the amount of excavation required. Surplus excavation will be used to construct the dock and reclaim areas designated for container storage. Further surplus material will be used to construct the access road.

    Surface drainage above the site will be intercepted and re-directed away from the site. On-site drainage will be directed to perimeter ditches and will be temporarily retained in sedimentation dams for settlement prior to discharge.

    Concentrate Storage and Material Handling

    The storage building for the intermediate products to be produced will be a frame structure approximately 500 m long by 55 m wide by 31 m high. The building is designed to store a maximum of three months of nickel-cobalt concentrate and six months of copper concentrate. The nominal maximum storage capacity will be 270,000 tonnes for nickel-cobalt concentrate and 130,000 tonnes for copper concentrate. Smaller facilities may be constructed initially and expanded when required.

    Port Utilities

    Water and sewage facilities will be required for the administration building at the port facility. Average daily water demand, supplied from wells at the port site, is estimated to be 3600 litres per day based on a maximum building area of approximately 600 m2. Sewage treatment and disposal facilities will be a septic system with a tiled disposal field.

    Fire water is required for the dock and concentrate handling systems. The fire water system will use salt water, and hydrants will be located on the dock.

    An electrical substation will receive power at 25 kV and distribute the power at the port at 600 volts-three phase and 120/208 volts-three phase. Power will be distributed from the port substation underground to the concentrate unloading stations, the concentrate storage building, materials handling equipment, the port administration building, the wharf, and to site lighting.

    Port Site - Fuel Storage Facility
    Fuel storage at the port site will be designed for an 8 month reserve. The storage facilities will have a capacity of approximately 60 million litres. The offloading of the fuel will be at the permanent dock, which will be equipped with metered electronic counters, compensators and transmitters to relay information to a central point for processing.

    The tanks will be located in an earth filled dyke with Petroguard Liner or equal designed for 100% of one tank plus 10% of capacity of remaining tanks (refer to Figure 3.14 for a typical cross-section of the tank containment). Tank levels will be monitored at a central location with appropriate alarms. Operation of tank valving will be optimized. Minor spills will be contained and disbursed through oil/water separators prior to discharge. Spill containment at both truck and tanker offloading areas also will use oil/water separators prior to discharge. Fire protection measures will be provided at the tank farm to meet the National Fire Code of Canada.

    Figure 3.14 Port Fuel Storage Area

    Shipping Dock

    The dock will have a 140 m long berthing face with a minimum draft of 13.5 m. This will allow use by vessels up to 50,000 DWT (Figure 3.15).

    The dock will include equipment for loading and unloading of bulk, packaged, and containerized materials and equipment.

    The dock structure will consist of five circular steel sheet pile cells with connecting arcs, which will be filled with select quarry-run rock fill. Flat or straight web sheet piling will be used for the cells.

    The steel sheet piling will penetrate the overburden until it encounters bedrock or boulders. No appreciable dredging will be required. Any dredged material would be disposed of on land.

    Figure 3.15 Shipping Dock



    The selected type of dock structure is proven in Arctic conditions and allows the use of local materials. The outer top wall of the cells, which can be exposed to significant ice pressures of up to 300 kPa or greater, will have an interior concrete reinforcing ring to avoid the risk of localized damage to the sheet piling.

    A narrow cope wall and apron will be along the front top of the dock in addition to a standard timber wheelguard and four 100 tonne mooring bollards. The front face of the dock will be protected against berthing damage by energy absorbing fender units, each capable of absorbing about 20 tonnes per metre of berthing energy. Short sections of steel sheet pile will be installed at each end of the dock to retain the fill toe clear of the berthing area.

    The sheet piles may be installed during the winter by driving from temporary platforms through a slot cut in the ice. Alternatively, the steel sheet piles will be driven into the sea bed using a barge mounted crane and pile driving equipment selected by the contractor in the summer.

    As the dock length is about 60 per cent of the length of a 50,000 DWT bulk carrier, it is expected that a spring line mooring arrangement will be used.

    A 1500 tonne per hour radial shiploader will be built on the dock fill area behind the cells. Steel rails will be installed in an arc to accommodate the travel of the radial shiploader.

    Port Administration Building

    The port administration building will be approximately 600 m2 and constructed using modular frame units. The building will be elevated on concrete piers. The foundations will be concrete spread footings founded at 1.5 m and protected with insulation to prevent frost heave. The facility will include offices, meeting rooms, storage space, filing space, maintenance area, concentrate sample preparation area, lunch room, and washrooms.


    3.6.7 Airstrip

     The airstrip, located south of Headwater Pond (Figure 3.2), will be designed to accommodate Dash 8 (300) or equivalent aircraft.

    The airstrip runway length will be approximately 1470 m including 60 m run-outs on each end (Figure 3.16). The runway will be 30 m wide and have a gravel surface. The runway strip will be approximately 150 m wide as shown in Figure 3.16. Organic material will be excavated and placed outside of the limits of the chosen site. The excavated area will then be backfilled with rockfill.

    Granular surface materials, produced from pit/quarry sources, will be placed and compacted in layers on top of the rockfill to serve as the wearing surface of the runway and apron.

    Figure 3.16 Layout and Cross-Section of Airstrip

    Airport Terminal Building

    The airport terminal building will be approximately 280 m2 and constructed using modular frame units.

    There will be an administration office and weather/communications room in the building. Washrooms as well as a small lunch room will be included. The building will be provided with electrical service and a standby emergency generator to maintain essential airstrip services in the event of a power failure.

    Water and sewage facilities will be required for the terminal building at the airport. Average daily water demand is estimated at 750 litres per day, which will be supplied from a well drilled near the building. Sewage treatment and disposal facilities will include a septic tank with a tiled disposal field.

    Navigational Aids

    Airstrip navigational aids will include:


    The following support facilities will also be provided:


    Instruments, antennas, and approach lighting will be mounted on towers in the immediate vicinity of the airstrip and all power and control wiring will be run underground. The runway lighting support structure will consist of conduit with bearing plate for direct burial in granular material.

    Aircraft Refuelling

    Only emergency fuel storage will be provided at the airstrip. Emergency fuel storage will comply with all applicable regulations.


    Aircraft De-Icing Station

    Aircraft de-icing facilities will be located at the airstrip. A pad will be constructed to collect and contain the de-icing chemicals. Used de-icing chemicals will be recycled where possible or contained and shipped for off-site disposal.


    3.6.8 Pits and Quarries

     For the initial construction period, approximately 5.4 million m3 of fill, gravel, and aggregate will be required for construction of the site facilities. All of this material will be obtained from various locations within the Project site. Site investigations have identified 11 potential sites for overburden borrow pits and/or aggregate quarries which may be used to provide the required quantities of construction material. These sites are located near access roads, the airstrip and dam embankment locations. Field verification is required to finalize selection of borrow pits and rock quarries. Only sites that do not contain material with acid generating potential will be used as borrow pits and quarries.

    Overburden removal and quarry operations will be conducted in compliance with all regulatory conditions and regulations.

    The total estimated area to be disturbed as a result of the pit and quarry activities is 70 ha. Individual pits and quarries will range in size from 30,000 m2 to 100,000 m2.


    3.6.9 Marshalling/Equipment Storage Areas

     A temporary dock will be constructed at Edward's Cove for the construction period of the Project (Figure 3.17 and Figure 3.18). To facilitate the receiving and storage of materials, supplies and equipment, two temporary marshalling and equipment storage areas are proposed, one immediately south of the temporary dock and the other at the proposed plant site. A permanent marshalling and equipment storage area will be constructed south of the permanent dock.


    3.6.10 Labour Force

     In addition to on-site workers, administration and engineering support will be provided from St. John's. VBNC will also maintain offices in Nain and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

    Labour force requirements for the construction period are expected to total approximately 1700 person-years of employment and will consist of iron workers, equipment operators, truck drivers, labourers, electricians, mechanics, masons, carpenters, and other required tradespeople.

    Work schedules will depend on the construction activity and the season during which it is being performed.



    Figure 3.17 Temporary Receiving Dock - Plan View
    Figure 3.18 Temporary Receiving Dock - Cross-Section

    3.6.11 Equipment, Construction Materials, and Services

     A construction project of this size typically requires heavy machinery such as loaders, haul trucks, bulldozers, graders, cranes, flat bed trucks, and other equipment. The anticipated equipment requirements during the construction period are provided in Table 3.13.

    Table 3.13 Preliminary Estimated Construction Equipment Requirements
    Description Approximate Number of Units
    Heavy Equipment/Earthworks 12-19
    Service Vehicles 7
    Haulage Trucks 10-16
    Material Handling 16-17
    Utility Trucks 8-12
    Personnel Carriers 2-4
    Road Maintenance 4-5
    Drills/Compressors 5-8
    Concrete Truck 3-4
    Emergency Response Vehicles 2

    The major contracts for the construction of the Project will include, but not be limited to, the following:


    The weight of construction materials are estimated to be 150,000 tonnes, as shown in Table 3.14.

    Table 3.14 Estimated Construction Material Quantities
    Item Description Tonnes
    Total Civil 200
    Total Concrete 25,200
    Total Steel 20,000
    Total Architectural 5,000
    Total Mechanical 10,000
    Total Piping 5,000
    Total Electrical 2,000
    Total Instrumentation 100
    Project Direct Total 67,500
    Indirect Total 60,000
    Miscellaneous & Contingency 22,500
    Project Total 150,000


    3.6.12 Transportation of Workers and Materials

     Construction personnel will be flown to and from the site on a rotating schedule depending on their job functions and responsibilities. Work schedules and transportation arrangements may vary between contractors. Non-scheduled flights to meet specific construction requirements may occur periodically. Dash 8 or equivalent and smaller aircraft will be used to transport personnel and supplies to and from Happy Valley-Goose Bay and certain other selected centres. Smaller aircraft may be used for personnel and supplies transport to and from certain selected north coast communities.

    Contractors equipment and construction materials will be transported to designated marshalling areas where they will be consolidated and transported to Edward's Cove. Some perishable items and emergency supplies may be shipped by air freight.

    Marine vessels including barges, roll-on/roll-off vessels, general cargo vessels, bulk carriers, and fuel supply barges/vessels will transport the majority of construction materials and supplies. Shipping points will vary depending upon the nature of the materials and the point of manufacture or assembly.


    3.6.13 Transport and Handling of Hazardous Materials

     Temporary facilities will be provided for equipment servicing and storage during the construction period. These temporary facilities will be located near the plant site. A temporary fuel storage tank of approximately 1 million litres, will be installed inside an impervious dyke near the existing camp at Anaktalak Bay. Fuel tanks of approximately 200,000 litre capacity will supply fuel for diesel generators and building heating. They will be located adjacent to the buildings that they service. Each will either be removed at the completion of the construction period, or incorporated into the more permanent fuel storage facilities.

    Cement, while not particularly hazardous, will be packaged and transported in accordance with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods regulations. During construction, approximately 30,000 tonnes of cement, 460,000 tonnes of aggregate and 70,000 m3 of concrete will be used at the Project site.


    3.6.14 Project-Environment Interactions

     The potential effects of these interactions are not assessed in this section. The Project's potential effects on the biophysical environment are assessed in Volume 3 of the EIS.

    The Project will interact with the environment during the construction period as a result of noise, air emissions, water use and construction of diversions, and physical disturbance to land. The potential interactions will be spatially limited to the geographic extent of the discharges and disturbances.


    3.6.14.1 Interactions With Land

     Figure 3.19 depicts the land disturbance due to construction activities. The locations and geographical extent of surficial disturbance were determined for all permanent and temporary facilities.

    Construction activities that will result in surficial disturbance include clearing, grubbing, blasting, and excavation for Project infrastructure. The construction of the plant site, port site, airstrip, roads, pipelines, and dams will disturb the ground in the immediate area of those Project elements. Construction of the permanent and temporary shipping dock and marshalling/equipment storage area will require infilling at the port site. Development of the North and East Mine Rock Storage Facilities and overburden storage facilities will result in further disturbance to ground features.

    A total of approximately 753 hectares will require site clearing. Approximately 17 hectares of the marine environment will be filled or laid with pipeline. Table 3.15 presents the estimated breakdown of the surficial disturbance, in hectares.

    Table 3.15 Estimated Areas of Physical Disturbance for each Project Element
    Facility Estimated Area of
    Surficial Disturbance (ha)
    Site Roads and Pipelines 200
    Tailings Basins/Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal Basin 145
    Plant Site 70
    Port Site 70
    Borrow Pits and Quarries 70
    Mine Rock and Overburden Storage Areas 55
    Open Pit 50
    Airstrip 40
    Dams 25
    Sedimentation Ponds 20
    Underground Mines 5
    Explosives Plant and Magazines 3

    The Project site will be progressively rehabilitated during the life of the Project.

    Figure 3.19 Potential Areas of Physical Disturbance


    3.6.14.2 Interactions with the Atmospheric Environment

     Construction activities will result in air emissions and generation of noise. The primary air emission during the construction period will be total suspended particulates (TSP) resulting from clearing, grubbing, earth-moving, blasting and excavation, and the establishment of storage facilities for overburden and non-mineralized mine rock. The operation of diesel generators, incineration of combustible waste, and use of ANFO explosives will also generate sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and carbon monoxide (CO). Of these sources, TSP from road dust and blasting can be controlled by appropriate actions such as wetting dusty roads.

    Particulate emission factors were calculated for bulldozing at the mine area and on unpaved roads. Vehicle fuel emission factors, diesel generator emission factors, incinerator emission factors, and blasting emission factors were calculated. The modelling results are presented in detail in Chapter 8 "Atmospheric Environment". Elevated levels of air emissions compared to ambient levels are expected to be geographically limited to within the VBNC Claim Block.

    Noise will be generated during the construction period by:


    A detailed evaluation of noise is presented in Morrison - Hershfield (1997).

    The projected noise levels were modelled for the construction period, including the sources listed above. Standard noise source and propagation models were used, including the Transport Canada NEF program (aircraft), the Stamson 4.1 program, (vehicular traffic), and a ground attenuation model (blasting). The Equivalent Sound Level (Leq) index was used to represent all noise levels. This index is the level of a steady sound which, over the stated time period, has the same sound energy as the time-varying sound that is actually occurring. It therefore is the average sound energy over the time period. It is measured in A-weighted decibels, which corresponds to the way in which humans perceive the loudness of sounds. Although the aircraft noise contributing to these contours was calculated using a different noise index, the results were converted to the Leq index to correspond to the other noise source representations.

    Noise contours resulting from construction activities are illustrated in Figure 3.20. Projected noise levels were modelled to the Leq=35dBA contour for vehicular traffic, and to Leq=40dBA contour for stationary sources, which are within the estimated range of typical background noise at Voisey's Bay.


    Figure 3.20 Noise Contours during Construction (24 hour LEQ)
    Figure 3.21 Blasting Noise Contours Peak Pressure Level (dB)

    The circular contours result primarily from the operation of crushers at the borrow pits near the port site and the North Tailings Basin, and removal of overburden at the open pit. The contours adjacent to the site roads result from road construction activity.

    Noise contours for blasting are illustrated in Figure 3.21. These contours are based on the cautionary limit of 120 dB for sound and 10 mm/second vibration at the accommodations complex to reduce the risk of structural damage at the complex.


    3.6.14.3 Interactions With the Aquatic Environment

     Potential locations where construction activities will interact with the relevant aquatic environment will be:


    Potable water during construction will be obtained from wells at the Anaktalak Bay Exploration Camp and from wells located near the proposed plant site.


    3.7 Underground Exploration Program

     An underground exploration program will be conducted concurrently with the construction period and will carry on during the Ovoid open pit operations. The final phase in mineral exploration for areas or zones of the Voisey's Bay deposit, such as the Eastern Deeps, is expected to be the underground exploration period. This period is essential to further define and outline the mineralized zone present, provide access for a bulk sample to be taken for metallurgical testing, and provide valuable information (geotechnical, geological complexity, metallurgical) related to the expected mining conditions for planning the future underground mining operations. The following three basic principles will be observed in the Voisey's Bay underground exploration program:


    "Below ground only can the miner shake hands with the ore" Arnold Hoffman, 1947

    The following is a preliminary design for underground exploration access to the Eastern Deeps mineral zone. The details of this design will be updated as engineering progresses.

    Eastern Deeps

    The concepts of the underground exploration infrastructure for the Eastern Deeps have not been finalized. The description contained in the following paragraphs is based on one underground exploration alternative, and will be subject to modification as the required information is developed and analyzed and the design proceeds.

    As the surface exploration programs for the Western Extension and other potential mineral deposits have not yet been completed, underground exploration programs have not been designed for these zones. Conceptual designs for these programs will be generated once all information from the surface drilling program has been compiled.

    Underground access to the Eastern Deeps will be obtained by sinking either a timber or concrete lined shaft to a depth of approximately 1000 metres below surface. The shaft will be located approximately midway along the long axis of the mineral zone in order to optimize access to the entire zone.

    Upon completion of shaft sinking, construction activities would include the installation of skips and a cage, excavation of a waste pass, and installation of a loading pocket and a grizzly/ rock breaker arrangement. Approximately two levels will be excavated to provide access for diamond drilling and a bulk sample. A total of approximately 3000 metres of lateral development will be required. The drill program is expected to total 75,000 metres, conducted at 50 metre selected intervals along the long axis of the ore body.

    Building and Structures

    A steel headframe (Figure 3.22) approximately 30 metres high will be erected and cladded. A double drum hoist suitable for shaft sinking and exploration development will be installed. Mine related surface facilities, including the collar house, will be constructed. Shaft facilities will include a small building for maintenance and storage of equipment, in addition to offices. A compressor and a generator building will also be necessary. An adequately sized settling pond will be required to temporarily store water pumped up from underground.

    A core storage building will also be located near the headframe. This facility will allow for core storage from all underground exploration drilling as well provide office space for the exploration geologists.

    Portable electric powered compressors will be located at the site, as well as a self-contained 3 MW diesel powered generator plant.


    Figure 3.22 Typical Exploration Shaft Headworks


    Labour Force

    A workforce of approximately 100 workers will be required to sink a shaft, develop exploration drifts from the shaft, perform diamond drilling, and build all the necessary surface and underground infrastructure required to carry out the exploration program.

    Equipment and Construction

    Underground tools required for shaft sinking and level development will include jacklegs, plugger drills, small LHDs, loaders, and trucks. Construction of the surface plant will require the use of some heavy equipment such as ground excavators, flatbed trucks and cranes. Pickup trucks will be used to transport workers and smaller materials around the site.

    Explosives

    Packaged explosives will be used in development of the shaft and underground workings. Only the amount of explosives required for each blast will be delivered to the construction site until such time as temporary underground explosives magazines can be constructed. All magazines will be constructed to meet appropriate regulations.

    Ventilation

    A fan set up on surface at the shaft collar will deliver fresh air via ventilation ducting to the working face at all times. The exhaust air will travel freely back up the shaft compartment to surface. A fan and ventilation ducting will be installed on every exploration level to deliver fresh air to the working face. A gas monitoring program will be in place at all times to ensure the air quality complies with the appropriate regulations for an underground mine.

    Disposal of Mine Rock

    Mine rock produced from the shaft and exploration development drifting will be hoisted up the shaft, analyzed, and classified as acid generating or non-acid generating. The non-acid generating rock will be stored in a designated rock storage area. Any potentially acid generating rock (>0.2% S) will be transported by surface haulage for disposal in Headwater Pond.

    Mine Water

    All mine water produced from the exploration shaft and related workings will be pumped to surface, where it will be contained in a pond and treated. Some of this water will be recycled for use as diamond drill water underground.


    3.8 Project Operation

     The Ovoid open pit and plant site are visually represented in Figure 3.23 and the port site at Edward's Cove is illustrated in Figure 3.24.


    3.8.1 Open Pit and Underground Mining

     Beyond the construction and start-up periods, mining of the Ovoid open pit will take place. Once the open pit resources have been depleted, underground production will be required to maintain an adequate ore feed to the mill.

    There will be some overlap between the open pit and underground production, as there is normally a substantial build-up period for an underground mine to reach its full production level.



    Figure 3.23 Artistic Rendering of Plant Site
    Figure 3.24 Artistic Rendering of Port Site


    3.8.1.1 Open Pit Design and Mining Plan

     The preliminary open pit design has determined appropriate cut-off grades and stripping ratios to optimize ore recovery and meet production requirements. An ongoing assessment of these design and planning parameters will be maintained during development and production.

    The following preliminary design parameters were developed through computerized mine planning, combined with preliminary geotechnical investigations:


    Slope design parameters for the pit walls were defined to provide reasonable slope angles and reduce the possibility of wall failures. Information for the slope analysis was obtained from borehole data.

    Schematic cross-sections of the open pit are provided in Figure 3.25 and Figure 3.26.

    Figure 3.25 Open Pit Schematic

    Figure 3.26 Open Pit Cross-Sectional View
    Based on the open pit design criteria and production requirements, the following approach to open pit mining will be undertaken:


    Open Pit Water

    An open pit water handling system consisting of collection ditches and sump pumping facilities will be established to ensure unimpeded mining operations and reduce potential effects to the water quality as a result of mining activity. Sources of water which will enter the pit will include precipitation, groundwater seepage, and spring runoff.

    The annual volume of water entering the open pit as a result of precipitation, groundwater seepage and spring runoff has been estimated to be approximately 0.7 million m3. Surface runoff flowing towards the open pit will be collected and diverted away from the mine opening through the use of perimeter ditches.

    All water inflow into the open pit will be directed to a pit sump. Precipitation falling into the pit and spring runoff from melting snow within the pit will flow into the pit sump. Most of the drainage within the open pit will flow to the sump through blasted subgrade materials. Ditches will be used along haulage ramps and in localized pit areas to expedite flow to the pit sump. Open pit roads will be kept clear of ice and snow at all times to ensure safe access to the pit sump.

    All water collected in the pit sump will be pumped outside of the open pit to a surge pond, and will then be pumped to the plant site water treatment plant for treatment and discharge.

    Drilling and Blasting

    Approximately 5 million tonnes per year of ore will be drilled and blasted during open pit operations, in addition to waste rock. Two rotary drills capable of drilling 250 to 300 mm diameter blast holes 12 m deep will be used for blast preparation. Diesel-powered drills will provide the mobility needed to service the various production benches and mine rock areas within the open pit.

    Approximately 3 to 5 blasts per week will be conducted. It is estimated that an average of 3,000 tonnes of bulk explosives will be required per year for the open pit. Trained mine operating personnel will load and initiate blasts. Transportation, storage, manufacture, handling, and use of all explosives, primers, blasting agents, and detonators for the open pit mining operations will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable government regulations.

    Oversize ore and rock from the blasting operations will be separated from the blasted muckpiles during truck loading and broken at a later date, using either explosives or a mechanical rock breaker.

    Loading and Haulage

    Loading and haulage of both mine rock and ore will be carried out with diesel-loading equipment and 100 tonne capacity haulage trucks. It is estimated that six haulage trucks will be required, with only four operating at any one time.

    Equipment Requirements and Operation

    The major production and support equipment required for the planned open pit mining operations is listed in Table 3.16. The basic pit production equipment consists of rotary drills, front end loaders, and 100 tonne haulage trucks. Open pit support equipment will include bulldozers, graders, loaders, backhoes, a water truck, an explosives delivery truck, and various service and maintenance vehicles.

    Table 3.16 Open Pit Equipment
    Equipment Estimated Number of Units
    Mine Production Drilling/Loading/Haulage 11
    Service Vehicles 4
    Utility Trucks 6
    Support Vehicles 3
    Earth works 6
    Road Maintenance 2
    Pit Lighting with Generators 6

    Support Equipment

    A fleet of mobile support equipment will be required. Other support equipment will consist of sump pumps, portable lighting, generators, and emergency response equipment.

    Portable lighting will be established in the open pit and on the North and East Mine Rock Storage facilities during darkness. These lights will be powered by portable diesel generators mounted on trailers.

    Emergency response equipment, (e.g., absorbent, disposal drums, and shovels) will be maintained in the event of a fuel spill or other hydrocarbon spill within the open pit, and on associated ramps and haulage roads. A dedicated vehicle will be allocated to transport this equipment site wide.

    Equipment Maintenance

    Vehicle maintenance will be carried out on a scheduled basis. With the exception of the drilling equipment, major maintenance and servicing of all mobile production equipment, service equipment, and vehicles will be conducted at the service complex on the plant site. Drills will typically be serviced in the open pit, unless major components need repair and shop facilities are required.


    3.8.1.2 Underground Mining

     Underground operations will commence before the open pit is depleted to ensure continuous, uninterrupted feed to the mill. Mining methods for the Eastern Deeps are preliminary and will be finalized upon completion of the underground exploration program and subsequent economic evaluations. Information gathered from diamond drilling and early mine development will be determining factors in preparing the final mine plan. Rock strength characteristics and geotechnical data will be used to establish rock support requirements and general rock mass characteristics. Mining methods and plans will be developed for other underground mineralized zones, such as the Western Extension, when additional information from exploration programs becomes available.

    The following description outlines one possible production alternative for the Eastern Deeps. Further information is required from the underground exploration program prior to finalization of the mining concepts. A typical site plan for an underground mine at the Eastern Deeps is illustrated in Figure 3.27.

    Mining Methods

    Based on current geological knowledge, the mining method best suited for daily production needs is likely to be blasthole open stoping. As knowledge of geometry and configuration of the mineralization or rock characteristics improves, other mining methods may be considered for some areas of the ore zone. Several areas in the mine will be in production at any one time. A cross-section of the underground mine is provided in Figure 3.28.

    >Blasthole stoping is a bottom-up approach. Drilling drifts will be developed in the ore zone. Blastholes will be drilled down through the ore zones. Once these holes are loaded and blasted, the ore will be removed from the level below using large remote controlled scooptrams. Once a lift has been mined out, backfill (typically mine rock or mill tailings) will be placed in the open space to provide support for the subsequent mining of adjacent blocks. When one horizontal section has been mined out, the horizontal section above will be developed and brought into production, resulting in a bottom-up approach.

    Figure 3.27 Typical Surface Facilities for an Underground Mine - Eastern Deeps
    Most of the ore will be transferred from the production drawpoints to the ore pass system using LHD units (scooptrams). Some ore will be transferred to the ore passes by haulage trucks where required. The ore will feed by gravity to the central collector level from the ore passes. Ore will be transferred from the passes to the crusher at the collector level via rail haulage.

    The crusher will be located underground adjacent to the shaft, and will discharge to a crushed ore bin. The crushed ore bins will discharge by feeder onto a conveyor feeding a central loading pocket.

    Crushed ore will then be hoisted by skips from the loading pockets to a storage transfer bin on the surface via the production shaft. The crushed ore will be transported to the mill.

    Waste rock pass raises will be established in the vicinity of the shafts. Stations will be developed in the shaft. All mine rock will be transferred to the skip-loading facilities via a short raise to the gravity-fed shaft loadout facility. The mine rock will also be hoisted to surface for disposal in either Headwater Pond or in a rock storage facility, depending on the acid generating potential of the rock.

    Figure 3.28 Typical Underground Infrastructure - Eastern Deeps
    Mine Access, Surface Openings and Mine Ventilation

    The proposed method of access to the Eastern Deeps mineralized zone is via a production/service shaft. Final locations of the production/service and ventilation shafts will be determined in accordance with geotechnical and mining requirements. The production/service shaft will likely be located midway along the ore zone. It will be a concrete lined facility extending approximately 1300 m below the surface.

    The production/service shaft will serve as access to the mine for all personnel and materials as well as the conveyance for all crushed ore and mine rock. Haulage drifts will be developed off the shaft at various elevations to permit access to the ore zone for development and mining. Internal ramps within the underground workings will also be used to provide access to the mining areas.

    A fresh air intake shaft will be located near the east end of the orebody and sunk to a depth of approximately 1300 m below surface. Ventilation fans will be mounted on the surface enclosed in a concrete building at the fresh air shaft. The fresh air fan building will also house a propane heating arrangement necessary for heating the air during the winter months to avoid freezing conditions underground. The mine fresh air will be heated in winter to a minimum of +2° C (at surface) by the propane heating system.

    An exhaust shaft (return air raise) will be located near the west end of the mineralized zone. Return air will be directed to the shaft from the underground workings via a series of internal raises and transfer drifts. Exhaust air will also be discharged to surface through the exploration shaft and the production shaft. Fans mounted on the top of the raise will be enclosed in a fan house.

    Mine rock generated during sinking of the shafts will be hoisted to surface and trucked to the appropriate stock pile. The mine rock will be analyzed and categorized as acid generating or non-acid generating and disposed of or stock piled according to sulphur content.

    The collars for the production/service, fresh air and exhaust shaft will be 30 to 45 m in depth, depending on the overburden thickness in the area. The collar will be socketed into the bedrock and the concrete liner will be cast in place up to surface. It is possible that a mine rock raise from surface to the underground mine workings will be required to allow for mine rock to be passed back underground to be used as backfill. This will be determined when the backfill methodology has been finalized.

    Equipment

    Typical mobile equipment used in underground mining include scooptrams (LHD units), development and production drills, haulage trucks, bulk explosives trucks, welding/service trucks, graders, scissor trucks, platform trucks, service vehicles, rock bolters, shotcrete application units, and personnel carriers. Stationary equipment will include crushers, pumps, and ventilation systems.

    Underground Water

    It has been assumed that the combined requirements for all of the underground mines will be approximately 0.6 million m3 of water on an annual basis. The water required for underground operations will be drawn from Camp Pond or from the plant site water treatment plant. In addition, a similar volume of groundwater inflow to the workings can be anticipated. Water sumps will be located on each working level and then the collected water will be directed to a main sump at the bottom of the mine. A pumping system will be installed to handle the maximum daily inflow of water collected in the main sump and pumped up the shaft. Approximately 1.2 million m3 of water per annum will be pumped from underground to the plant site water treatment plant for discharge to Edward's Cove following treatment.

    Electric Power Requirements

    Power will be distributed to underground at 13.8 kW to substations suitably located throughout the mine. Primary distribution will be achieved with cables in both the exploration and production/service shaft. Intermediate levels (to a 500 m distance) will be at 4160 V while local distribution will be at 600 V. Power requirements are expected to range from 14 MW during pre-production up to 27 MW during steady state production . The surface electrical substation will located near the headframe.

    Underground Maintenance

    A maintenance facility suitable for performing all minor and major repairs and overhauls to mobile equipment will be located underground. Some smaller equipment such as auxiliary fans and hand-held drills may be brought to surface for repair.

    Refuge Stations

    Refuge stations will be located in the mine adjacent to active work areas and may also double as a lunch room facility. The station will be constructed and equipped according to the appropriate regulations.

    Headframe

    The production shaft headframe will consist of a rectangular concrete unit with an internal steel structure. It will incorporate suitable storage for both ore and rock that is hoisted from underground. The headframe will be up to 100 m in height. A number of smaller buildings (collar house, offices, etc. ) will either be attached to the headframe or located near the shaft.


    3.8.1.3 Explosives Storage and Handling

     The principal explosives that will be used during open pit and underground operations will be an ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixture (ANFO) and an ammonium nitrate based emulsion.

    An explosives plant will be constructed on site for the manufacture of these explosives. The explosive ingredients, such as bulk ammonium nitrate, emulsion, and wax will be transported to site by ships and then to the explosives manufacturing plant.

    Ammonium nitrate prills will be stored in storage silos located a suitable distance away from the explosives manufacturing plant and will comply with all government regulations pertaining to the transportation, storage, and manufacture of explosives. The silos will be surrounded by perimeter ditches and catchment basins. Emulsifiers and wax will be transported in bulk tanks and stored in a contained tank farm at the emulsion plant.

    The cap magazine for storing detonating caps and other initiators will also be located on the same site as the powder magazine. The cap magazine and powder magazine will be constructed with adequate spacing to comply with appropriate regulations. The magazine dimensions will be approximately 3 m wide by 8 m long and 4 m in height. Both magazines will be located south of the open pit.

    All wash down water and waste waters from the bulk explosive plant will be collected and disposed of in Headwater Pond. All sewage will be disposed of in an appropriate manner.

    The manufacture of ANFO involves the mixing of dry ammonium nitrate and fuel oil in an approximate ratio of 94:6. Mixing will be conducted at the manufacturing plant, or conversely in the explosives delivery truck.

    The manufacture of emulsion involves the transformation of the ammonium nitrate prills into a liquor. The liquor is then mixed with the emulsifiers, fuel oil and wax to produce an explosive emulsion. The emulsion will then be pumped into an overhead storage tank to allow gravity loading into an explosive delivery truck.

    ANFO will be used where conditions in the blastholes are dry, and the emulsion explosive will be used in wet conditions. The explosive delivery truck will be capable of pumping the explosive directly into the blasthole during open pit operations.

    The manufacture of explosives will be contracted to an approved and certified explosives manufacturing company. All unloading areas will be covered to provide shelter from the elements, to contain AN dust, and to assist cleanup, thus reducing potential fugitive AN migration.


    3.8.2 Mill


    3.8.2.1 Mill Process

     The mill processing capacity will be 20,000 tonnes of ore per day. The mill flowsheet includes primary crushing, ore storage and reclaim, grinding, flotation, thickening, filtration, drying, and concentrate storage. The intermediate products to be produced will be stored at the port site for shipment to off-site smelters, while the tailings will be pumped to the tailings basin (Headwater Pond during open pit mining and the North Tailings Basin during underground mining). The mill and plant site layout has been designed so that a future expansion could be implemented if justified. An expansion of the mill would have minimal effect on the continued operation of the initial facilities. A conceptual overview of the mill process is shown on Figure 3.29.

    Primary Crushing

    Run-of-mine ore will be delivered from the open pit mine to the primary crusher in 100 tonne haul trucks. The trucks will dump directly into the primary gyratory crusher where the ore will be crushed to less than 150 mm. The primary crusher will be designed to process up to 1700 tonnes per hour and will operate on two 12 hour shifts per day to match the mill operation. The crushed ore will be transported by a conveyor to a stockpile located inside the crushed ore storage building.

    Figure 3.29 Conceptual Process Flowsheet
    A dust collection system will be provided in the primary crushing area. The crusher will be in an enclosed building. Areas of dust generation, such as transfer points, will be maintained under negative pressure with dust collection through a system of fabric filter bags.

    Some stockpiling of uncrushed ore outside of the crusher building will be necessary to allow for proper blending of the ore, as well as to provide a source of ore supply to the mill should operational problems be experienced in the open pit. The maximum amount of stockpiled ore is currently estimated to be 150,000 tonnes. Drainage from this stockpile will be directed to the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond.

    A hydraulic rock breaker will be located above the gyratory crusher to assist in breaking oversize ore. An overhead crane will also be installed to service the crusher.

    Grinding

    The purpose of the grinding circuit is to reduce the size distribution of the ore so that the valuable metal sulphide minerals can be liberated from the waste minerals. In order to achieve this, crushed ore will be conveyed from the crushed ore storage into the semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill. Dust generated at transfer points beneath the crushed ore stockpile will be captured in a dedicated baghouse dust collector system. The dust from this baghouse will be slurried and pumped into the grinding circuit. Reclaim water will be added into the SAG mill feed chute with the ore to assist grinding and discharge of the ground ore slurry. Since the grinding circuit is a wet process, dust generation in the grinding area will be negligible.

    The SAG mill product, at a slurry density of approximately 75% solids, will discharge by gravity on to a vibrating screen. Oversize particles will be returned to the SAG mill by conveyor, while the undersize particles will be pumped to the secondary grinding circuit which will consist of two parallel ball mills.

    Each of the two ball mills will be in closed circuit with a series of hydrocyclones arranged in a cluster. Discharge from each ball mill will be pumped into the hydrocyclones for size classification. The coarse material (cyclone underflow) will flow by gravity back into the ball mills for further grinding. The cyclone overflow, which contains the finely ground ore particles, will flow by gravity into the flotation circuit. The size distribution of the flotation feed will typically be 80 weight percent finer than 80 microns.

    Flotation

    Ore ground in the grinding circuit is transported in a water slurry to the flotation circuit. Chemical reagents are added to the flotation circuit causing the separation of valuable metal sulphide minerals from waste minerals.

    The purpose of the flotation circuit is to produce three separate products: a nickel sulphide concentrate; a copper sulphide concentrate; and a tailings slurry that contains the waste minerals. The concentration of nickel in the nickel sulphide concentrate will be approximately 13.5% . The majority of the cobalt contained in the ore will also be recovered into the nickel sulphide concentrate. The concentration of copper in the copper sulphide concentrate will be approximately 30%.

    Flotation is a physical separation process based on the principle of air bubbles rising in a column of slurry. Flotation reagents are added into the slurry so that only selected mineral particles will adhere to the rising air bubbles. Particles that do not adhere to air bubbles will settle by gravity, thus becoming the "sink" product in the flotation process. The floated particles are skimmed off the surface of the flotation cells as a froth, thus becoming the "float" product of the flotation process.

    In order to obtain selective separation, chemical reagents are added into the slurry to alter the surface chemistry, or wetability of the various mineral surfaces. Typical flotation reagents may include pH modifiers, collectors, depressants, or frothers. Generally these reagents are added to enhance the differential flotation of the various minerals and to provide a stable froth for concentrate recovery.

    The process reagents used to effect the flotation separations are discussed in Section 3.8.2.2.

    Concentrate Dewatering

    Both sulphide concentrates will be partially dewatered in separate thickeners. A flocculant will be added to the thickener feed slurry in order to promote settlement of the solids. The thickened concentrate slurries will then be further dewatered by filtration. The moisture content of each concentrate filter cake will be further reduced to approximately 6% in rotary kiln type dryers. Each kiln will use exhaust gas from the on-site diesel powered generators as a heat source to dry the concentrate. The off-gas from each kiln will pass through a wet scrubber for dust recovery to reduce effect on the atmospheric environment. The concentrates will be conveyed into separate storage and loadout areas located adjacent to the mill. The concentrate will then be loaded into trucks, which will be covered to prevent dust escape during transport to the concentrate storage building located at the port facility at Edward's Cove. Based on the results of previous pilot plant tests, the anticipated analysis of the nickel and copper concentrates are shown in Table 3.17.

    Tailings Pumping and Water Recirculation

    Tailings from the flotation process will be pumped to the tailings disposal facility (Headwater Pond during open pit mining and the North Tailings Basin during underground mining). An operating and a standby series of pumps will be provided to ensure tailings disposal is not disrupted because of mechanical problems. The density of the tailings slurry may be increased in a thickener located adjacent to the mill building. Thickening of the tailings slurry would enable a direct recycle of process water to the concentrator. In this case, thickener overflow water would be returned to the process via a water tank located adjacent to the mill building.

    Within the mine/mill water management system, water recycle to the mill will be maximized in order to reduce the amount of fresh water required. Water recirculation will occur within the mill, from the tailings basin to the mill and from the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond to the mill. The extent of recycling that can be achieved will depend on the water chemistry and particularly the accumulation of flotation reagents and products. A very high degree of water recycling is anticipated.

    Table 3.17 Typical Concentrate Analysis
    Element Nickel Concentrate Copper Concentrate
    Sulphur 27.9 - 34.9% 32.6 - 34.8%
    Aluminium 30 - 10,100 g/t 20 - 7390 g/t
    Arsenic 100 - 150 g/t less than 100 g/t
    Calcium 5330 - 15,600 g/t 980 - 5100 g/t
    Cadmium less than 5 g/t 71 - 72 g/t
    Cobalt 5530 - 6770 g/t 370 - 430 g/t
    Chromium 5 - 70 g/t 5-18 g/t
    Copper 15,800 - 28,000 g/t 251,000 - 352,000 g/t
    Iron 350,000 - 460,000 g/t 306,000 - 354,000 g/t
    Magnesium 220 - 20,000 g/t 100 - 6000 g/t
    Manganese 40 - 250 g/t 120 - 190 g/t
    Sodium 100 - 2262 g/t 100 - 1730 g/t
    Nickel 120,000 - 152,000 g/t 7000 - 9900 g/t
    Phosphorous less than 20 g/t less than 20 g/t
    Lead 120 - 360 g/t 260 - 310 g/t
    Selenium Less than 100 g/t less than 100 g/t
    Zinc 290 - 770g/t 920 - 1490 g/t

    Process Control

    A control system will monitor the status of the various circuits within the process plant. Operator stations will be located strategically throughout the plant to make the process information readily available to the operators. A central control room will incorporate on-stream instrumentation and analysis.

    An assay laboratory will be located within the mill building. The laboratory will be equipped with separate facilities for sample preparation, analytical and environmental analysis. The assay laboratory will process mine, mill, and environmental samples.


    3.8.2.2 Process Reagents

     Lime and soda ash are used to modify and control pH at the desired levels for flotation. Sodium isopropyl xanthate (SIPX) will be used as a flotation collector. Sodium sulphite will be used as a depressant. Frother will be used to form a stable flotation froth. Flocculant will be used to assist liquid/solid separation in the thickeners. All of these reagents are in common use in existing flotation mills in Canada and around the world.

    The process reagents will be transported to the site in shipping containers. The reagents will be trucked to the plant site and stored in an outdoor laydown area adjacent to the mill building. Facilities for mixing, holding, and pumping liquid reagents will be located inside the mill building:


    The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the reagents involved in the mill process are provided in Appendix 3A. A review of the MSDSs indicate that while these reagents might cause environmental effects in large quantities, correct packaging, handling, and storage procedures will result in minimal risk to the environment. When used in the mill, the reagents will be diluted and the risk of an environmental effect will be reduced considerably.

    Spill protection measures will be implemented in all areas where reagents are stored or handled. Spill management will commence with the packaging of chemicals to provide secure containment. Areas where chemicals (including fuel) will be handled or transferred will have containment or collection ditches to reduce the risk of release to the environment. The mill building will have its own spill containment and collection sumps so that spills in the mill can be recycled where possible. Further, the mine/mill area will have perimeter ditches to direct any site run-off to the sedimentation ponds.

    When the ground is frozen (approximately six months of each year), any spill will flow to these perimeter ditches. When the ground is not frozen, there may be some infiltration to groundwater. The underlying glacial till is dense and of low permability,. Thus, any contaminant will infiltrate and migrate very slowly. A network of groundwater monitoring wells will be established at the site perimeter to detect any contamination and allow for containment and clean-up.


    3.8.2.3 Concentrate Storage

     A concentrate storage building with storage capacity of up to 270,000 tonnes of nickel-cobalt concentrate and up to 150,000 tonnes of copper concentrate will be located at the port site. The shed will be fully enclosed with separate areas for nickel-cobalt and copper concentrate storage. The storage shed may be built in phases.

    Concentrate will be transported from the mill to the port in covered trucks. From the port storage facility, concentrate will be transported to concentrate ships via a system of covered conveyors.

    The nickel-cobalt and copper concentrate will be delivered by covered 40 to 80 tonne trucks from the mill to the unloading station at a rate of about three deliveries per hour. The covered unloading station will contain a hopper and belt feeder. Concentrate will be discharged from the concentrate truck trailers directly into a dump hopper. From the dump hopper, the concentrate will be conveyed into the concentrate storage building. A dry baghouse-type dust collector will be provided at the unloading station to collect dust during transfer. Concentrate will be transferred from the storage area by front end loaders and transferred to the concentrate ship via a system of covered conveyors.

    A 1500 tonne per hour radial shiploader will be built on the dock fill area behind the cells. Steel carriage rails will be installed in an arc to accommodate the travel swing of the radial shiploader. Ship-side dust control will include the use of equipment to distribute concentrate into the holds, and a dust collection system.

    A building will be located near the concentrate storage facility which will provide a maintenance area, office space, concentrate sample preparation area, washrooms, and a lunchroom for staff at the port site.


    3.8.3 Tailings and Mine Rock Management

     The pipeline to Headwater Pond is shorter and traverses less rugged terrain than that to the North Tailings Basin. Once the North Tailings Basin is constructed and in operation, the experience gained from operating tailings pipelines to Headwater Pond can be applied to reduce the risk to the environment.

    Tailings will be permanently disposed of in Headwater Pond during open pit mining and subsequently disposed of in the North Tailings Basin during underground mining. All non-mineralized mine rock will be deposited on surface near the open pit, whereas all mineralized mine rock will be disposed of in Headwater Pond.

    The locations of Headwater Pond and the North Tailings basins are shown on Figure 3.2. These natural lake basins have been selected and designed so that tailings and mineralized mine rock will be disposed of under submerged conditions during the operation and remain permanently submerged after closure.

    The disposal plan for tailings and mineralized mine rock has been developed based on both operational and environmental design considerations. The average milling rate will be maintained at approximately 20,000 tonnes per day. During operations, there will be a start-up of open pit mining, full production of open pit mining, and underground mining.

    The production quantities of overburden and mine rock is shown on Table 3.18. In summary, VBNC expects to produce about 20% (2 million tonnes) of the total tonnage of mineralized mine rock during the first eight years of the operation. The remaining 80% (7.8 million tonnes) will be moved during underground mining operations.

    The design of the tailings and mineralized mine rock facilities will provide sufficient water cover to inhibit the generation of acid during operations and post closure, and to recycle a significant portion of the water during operations. During operation of the North Tailings Basin, large volumes of surface water will be diverted and therefore prevented from entering the basin. Any water exiting either Headwater Pond or the North Tailings Basin during operations will either be recycled or treated, if required, prior to discharge to Edward's Cove.

    As outlined in Section 3.6.4, basin pump down will be carried out at both Headwater Pond and the North Tailings Basin prior to tailings placement in order to reduce the total volume of water requiring treatment. In addition, the pump down will provide operational flexibility during early years of operation.


    3.8.3.1 Tailings and Mineralized Mine Rock Characteristics

     Tailings will be the major reject stream from the mill. Approximately 77% of the ore fed to the mill will become tailings. The mill will produce about 122.4 million tonnes (72.8 million m3) of tailings during the planned mine operation. The tailings will be discharged from the mill as a slurry of fine solids and water, and will be transported via a pipeline to the disposal areas.

    Mill tailings were produced during pilot plant tests conducted on samples of drill core from the Ovoid. Samples of the solid and solution tailings have been collected, analyzed and characterized in terms of detailed chemical, environmental, and physical composition. These samples and this characterization data have been used for various purposes including engineering design criteria, subsequent laboratory testwork and analysis, and impact modelling.

    The mill tailings are composed of the bulk scavenger tailings and the nickel cleaner tailings as shown in Figure 3.29. The mill tailings will contain about 0.35% to 0.4% nickel and about 0.06% to 0.08% copper. The specific gravity of the tailings will be approximately 4.2. The bulk density of the placed tailings will be approximately 2.2 g/cm3. The pulp density of the mill tailings pumped to Headwater Pond will be approximately 50% solids.

    The solid tailings generally consist of pyrrhotite and the various waste rock minerals. Some chalcopyrite and pentlandite will also occur in the tailings as locked or unfloatable size particles. The size distribution of the tailings will be marginally finer than the grinding circuit product size due to the regrind mills in the concentrate cleaner flotation circuits.

    Table 3.18 provides a summary of the location and amount of mine rock and overburden generated during mine operation. Approximately 20 million tonnes of mine rock will be excavated from the open pit during the mine life. In addition, approximately 12 million tonnes of mine rock will be produced during underground mining.

    Table 3.18 Mine Rock Management
      Mine Rock Type Estimated Amount
    (million tonnes)    		 Description
    A) Open Pit Operations    
    (i) Overburden 12 Unconsolidated material found above the ore zone. A small portion of this material will be used for reclamation and rehabilitation of disturbed sites.
    (ii) Non-Mineralized Mine Rock. 18.1 This material will be placed in either a valley adjacent to the open pit (East Mine Rock Storage facility) or the slope north of the open pit (North Mine Rock Storage facility) or used for road construction.
    (iii) Mineralized Mine Rock 2.0 This material will be placed under water to prevent sulphide oxidation.
    B) Underground Operations    
    (i) Non-Mineralized Mine Rock
         		 4.2 Development in upper strata. Mine development will include sinking of ramps, raises and shafts. Mine rock will be stored at the North or East Mine Rock Storage facility.
    (ii) Mineralized Mine Rock 7.8 Mineralized mine rock will be disposed under a water cover in a manner similar to the open pit mineralized mine rock.
    (iii) Mine Rock Used as Backfill 7.4 This material will be used for underground construction or backfill.

    During development and operation of the open pit there will be two types of mine rock that require placement and storage: non-acid generating and potentially acid generating. Samples of mine rock will be collected during blast-hole drilling and analyzed on-site for sulphur content. The pit geologist will classify the mine rock based on the sulphur content and direct the disposal to an appropriate facility: the North or East Mine Rock Storage (low reactivity), or underwater placement in Headwater Pond (high reactivity).

    The ability to successfully sort mine rock based on visual sulphur content estimation will be confirmed by analytical means during early pit operations. Mine rock will be inspected and sampled routinely to confirm appropriate storage selection.


    3.8.3.2 Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) Potential - Mine Rock/Overburden

     A mine rock investigation was conducted to assess the characteristics of mine rock materials, as well as to determine which of these materials would be appropriate for on-land disposal. Some sulphide bearing rocks oxidize when exposed to the atmosphere and can produce products such as acid and metals that leach into water. A portion of the mine rock that is produced during the mining operations, both within the open pit and underground, will contain sulphide minerals that will oxidize if exposed to ground surface conditions after disposal. The mine rock investigation therefore focused on differentiating between reactive materials that may require underwater disposal as a mitigative measure, and non-reactive materials that would be appropriate for on-land disposal.

    The investigation included:


    The investigation was conducted on samples collected from drill core, representing the mineralized zones associated with the Ovoid, the Eastern Deeps, and the Western Extension. The study was conducted in two phases.

    Phase 1 of the investigation focused on the chemical and mineralogical characterization of the mine rock and the overburden. The major rock types in the vicinity of the Ovoid are similar to those in the Eastern Deeps and Western Extension mineralization zones. The mineralogical and chemical characterization of these materials, including the initial static tests for acid base accounting, are therefore valid for all zones.

    Phase 2 of the investigation focused on kinetic testing conducted to assess the rates of sulphide mineral oxidation on the various types of mine rock. It included different approaches for testing mine rock from the Ovoid and potential mine rock materials that would be produced from the underground mining operation. The main difference in approach was that of the type of material sampled. The open pit mine will remove large quantities of rock above and adjacent to the ore body. This rock will contain a variety of materials including high sulphide material adjacent to the orebody, as well as material containing little or no sulphide mineralization further from the orebody. Samples collected to characterize potential mine rock from the Ovoid included zones representative of the rock to be removed during open pit development and mining. The sampling of the Eastern Deeps and Western Extension materials differed in that underground mining produces mine rock that is generally associated with the mineralized zones and which occurs in proximity to the ore. Therefore, potential mine rock material from the Eastern Deeps and the Western Extension was selected as material adjacent to the zones that is likely to represent ore, and subsequently less emphasis was placed on rock that occurs further from the mineralized zones.

    The main rock types associated with the mineralized zones included troctolite (intrusive rock containing sulphide minerals), gneissic rocks (host rock in the region containing insignificant sulphide minerals), and minor amounts of granitic rock (do not contain reactive sulphide).

    The kinetic testing program conducted for materials representing mine rock from the Ovoid included eight humidity cells and eighteen column tests. These contained a range of potential mine rock materials from low-sulphur gneissic rocks through to intrusive rocks and high sulphur materials representative of ore grade material. The kinetic test program conducted for materials representing mine rock from the Eastern Deeps and Western Extension included twenty humidity cell tests containing materials representing granitic, gneissic, and intrusive rock. The intrusive materials were subdivided into different sulphide contents to assess the effects of this variable on oxidation rates and leachate quality. The kinetic testing was conducted for at least fourteen weeks on materials that exhibited a reactive behaviour with significant oxidation rates. They have also continued for more than seventy weeks for selected tests to verify the non-reactive behaviour of the low-sulphur gneiss, as well as to observe the behaviour of some high-sulphur samples over the long term.

    In addition to standard kinetic testing in humidity cells and columns, a method was also used to assess oxidation rates for mine rock based on the oxygen consumption technique. These measurements provided a rapid assessment of oxidation rates for a variety of materials, and provided the ability to test variables such as sulphur content, temperature, particle size of the mine rock, and the effect of catalyzing the bacteria (thiobacillus ferroxidans). Oxygen consumption test data were used to complement information obtained through the standard kinetic tests, and provided more detailed information that can influence reaction rates of mine rock materials designated for the on-land placement sites.

    The results of the kinetic testing provided rates of release for sulphate and metals. Loading rates that represent the rate of oxidation product release per mass of mine rock material were estimated. The loading rates for the various materials were compared to determine the significance of reactivity for the on-land disposal scenario. In the vast majority of kinetic tests, metal release was not observed at values above the detection level. The rate of sulphate release was therefore used for interpretation. It was assumed that even though metal concentrations were not observed in the leachate from the kinetic tests, the potential release was related to the concentration of the metal, such as nickel in the mine rock material, compared to the concentration of sulphide sulphur in the mine rock. Therefore, the metal to sulphide ratio was used as an indication of the potential release rate for nickel and other metals during the oxidation process.

    In general, the results of the mine rock investigation showed that:


    If material contains greater than 0.2% sulphide sulphur it is to be designated for underwater disposal. The data from the kinetic tests also provided data that can be used for calculating loading rates of oxidation products such as sulphate and nickel that will remain in the open pit as rubble or wall rock. Nickel was found to be the main metal of concern because it can occur at moderate concentrations at neutral pH. Even in high sulphide materials that were tested, nickel was the only metal observed in the leachate. Discussion of specific aspects related to the various components of the proposed mining operation are discussed below.

    Overburden

    The overburden above the Ovoid deposit primarily consists of sand and gravel, and glacial till material. One hundred samples were subjected to acid base accounting (ABA) tests. The overburden material was found to have either insignificant or non-detectable levels of sulphide minerals present (as sulphur) and contained adequate neutralization potential to indicate that there is little to no potential for acid generation and/or metal leaching in these materials. Static tests (ABA) conducted on these materials yielded definitive results, hence kinetic tests were not required. The overburden materials will therefore be stored on-land adjacent to the open pit.

    Mine Rock

    Consistent with the precautionary principle, VBNC will apply a conservative test to determine sulphide levels, then dispose of all potentially acid generating rock under water.

    The mine rock characterization for the Project was based on the premise that mine rock materials would be considered to be reactive unless proven to be innocuous and appropriate for surface disposal. If reactive waste materials containing sulphide minerals are placed on surface with exposure to the atmosphere, oxidation may produce acid and metal leaching within the drainage water migrating through the waste materials. The main sulphide mineral in the waste material is pyrrhotite (Fe1-xS). Pyrrhotite is known to oxidize in a manner similar to pyrite but produces less acid per unit of mass oxidized compared to pyrite. An additional potential concern of sulphide mineral oxidation is the release of metals. The reactivity of the mine rock materials were therefore assessed in terms of both potential sulphate production (or acid generation) and metal leaching.

    The mine rock will consist primarily of two main rock types including troctolite (or intrusive) and gneiss. The results of the chemical analyses and static testing indicated clearly that there was little to no carbonate buffering capacity in these rocks. This suggests that if sulphide minerals are present in appreciable quantities, the materials can be reactive and can result in the production of acid and metals dissolution. Samples were therefore subjected to more intensive testing including long-term kinetic tests (humidity cells and columns).

    Test results showed that there is a very strong correlation between sulphide content and metal content (including nickel, cobalt, and copper). These results also showed that the sulphide content is a good indicator of the reactivity and metal leaching potential. In general, the troctolite or intrusive rocks contain a high proportion of sulphide mineralization (0.25 to 5% S). These materials should be placed underwater. The gneiss rocks generally contain low quantities of sulphide minerals. The sulphide content of gneiss can be elevated adjacent to the contact with the troctolite intrusive, and this gneiss may be reactive. However, the sulphide content of the gneiss generally decreases to small values within a few metres of the contact with the troctolite intrusive, and the gneiss beyond a few metres from the contact is considered to be non-reactive.

    Samples of gneiss containing less than 0.2% sulphur exhibited a very low oxidation rate and no metal release. These results indicated that all troctolite intrusive materials should be considered reactive and stored underwater. Gneissic rocks with less than 0.2% sulphur can be considered non-reactive and placed in the North or East Mine Rock Storage facilities. Methods will be developed to identify the non-reactive materials during the mining operation, including analyses for sulphur content, to identify the materials for surface disposal in the North or East Mine Rock Storage Facility.

    The total amount of mine rock that will be generated during open pit mining has been estimated to be 20 million tonnes. The majority of the rock from this deposit will be non-reactive (approximately 90%). The remainder of the rock is considered reactive (approximately 10%) , thus requiring underwater disposal.

    Eastern Deeps and Western Extension - Underground Mining Operations

    The testing program for materials was extended to include those associated with underground mining operations. There is no overburden removed during underground mining. The mine rock that will be removed are rocks that are similar to those in the Ovoid. The characteristics of mine rock associated with the Ovoid can therefore be applied to mine rock from the Eastern Deeps and Western Extension.

    The results of the mine rock testing program for the underground sample materials are similar to those from the Ovoid. All materials containing greater than 0.2% sulphur will be placed underwater. This material includes all rock that is removed from areas adjacent to the ore (within a few metres) including the troctolite intrusive and gneissic rocks. Materials such as gneiss that will be encountered away from the ore zones were similar to those observed in the vicinity of the Ovoid and contained small to non-detectable levels of sulphur. Gneissic rock that is encountered during the construction of shafts and ramps will be tested and placed in the appropriate storage areas.

    It is estimated that approximately 20 million tonnes of mine rock will be produced from the underground operation. The portion of this rock that is considered to be non-reactive and appropriate for on-land disposal is about 22% or 4.2 million tonnes. The remaining material will be either placed underwater (approximately 7.8 million tonnes or 40% of the mine rock) or used as backfill in the underground mining operation (approximately 7.4 million tonnes or 38% of the mine rock).


    3.8.3.3 Non-Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal

    The disposal of about 22 million tonnes of non-mineralized mine rock is anticipated during the 25 year life of the Project, with about 18 million tonnes from the open pit and about 4 million tonnes from the underground operations.

    Non-mineralized mine rock will be placed in two surface locations in the vicinity of the open pit: (i) East Mine Rock Storage (design capacity - 18 million tonnes) and (ii) North Mine Rock Storage (design capacity - 4 million tonnes). All non-mineralized mine rock generated during underground mining will be placed in the surface storage facilities.

    Non-mineralized mine rock will be stored within an area where the drainage is captured and, if necessary could be treated. This is another example of the precautionary principle at work.

    These storage areas have been designed with relatively flat slopes to maintain stability and facilitate reclamation. Both mine rock storage areas will be progressively reclaimed (i.e. reclamation concurrent with operations) during the course of the mine life. Runoff from the storage areas will be collected in a gravity drainage ditch system and directed to the South Sedimentation Pond (southwest of the open pit).


    3.8.3.4 Co-Disposal of Tailings/Mineralized Mine Rock at Headwater Pond

     Both open pit and underground operations will involve the co-disposal of tailings and mineralized mine rock in Headwater Pond. This basin is designed to contain 27.1 million tonnes (13.2 million m3) of tailings, 2 million tonnes of mine rock from open pit operations, and 7.8 million tonnes of mineralized mine rock from underground mining.

    Tailings will be transported from the mill via a pipeline which extends along the north side of Camp Pond, Otter Pond and Headwater Pond. The main pipeline will be set at an elevation of about 105 m above sea level along the shore of Headwater Pond. From the main tailings pipeline, a series of discharge pipes will extend south into the basin. The connections will be valved to allow the discharge location to be changed as required.

    An underwater deposition angle of 15% (8.5° ) is assumed. This angle was estimated based on field data collected from similar underwater deposition sites. During the initial operations, when the water levels are low as a result of the pumpdown, the deposition strategy for Headwater Pond will involve the placement of tailings in the deep basin in the western half of the pond. As production advances and the water rises, tailings deposition will continue in the shallower zones of the western basin.

    During the ice free season tailings will be placed within the shallower areas, where regular movement of the discharge point is required. During the winter months, the tailings disposition will occur in the deeper areas. The requirement to move the tailings discharge point during the winter months therefore will be reduced.

    Initially, mineralized mine rock will be placed in the shallow area in the western most section of Headwater Pond (near Dam H2). Later in open pit operations mineralized mine rock will be placed in the shallow area in the north central portion of the basin. Following termination of the open pit, mineralized mine rock from underground operations will also be placed in the shallow north central zone initially, and then in the deeper section of the eastern basin.

    Mineralized mine rock will be placed in the pond using a dump and doze procedure from a small operating platform that will progressively move back and forth along the shoreline and out into the basin. An operating pad of mineralized rock will be constructed. The pad will be advanced along the north shore of Headwater Pond by placing the rock along the leading edge of the pad. The material will be pushed by a bulldozer down the leading edge of the pad.


    3.8.3.5 Water Treatment and Discharge at the Mill Site During Open Pit Operations

     The following sources of water treatment plant influent are anticipated during open pit operations:


    During open pit operations, there will be a single effluent discharge point into Edward's Cove. The water treatment circuit will be located inside and adjacent to the mill building. Excess water from Headwater Pond is anticipated to be about 1.17 million m3 per year during the start-up period and about 0.26 million m3 per year during open pit operations. This is about 20% of the total water treatment plant influent during start-up and about 5% during open pit operations.

    The water treatment plant influent will be dominated by the lime process wastewater from the mill. These waters will have a pH in the range of 10 to 12, and will therefore require pH adjustment prior to discharge. The annual lime wastewater flow rate will range from 2.2 to 4.0 million m3 per year during start-up and open pit operations, respectively.

    The design of the plant site water treatment circuit is currently in progress. Laboratory test work has been performed on a variety of pilot plant and simulated influent streams. Preliminary test results have satisfied the MMLER discharge criteria for a range of anticipated seasonal influent concentrations.

    The water treatment circuit will include a reactor for pH adjustment followed by clarification for the removal of suspended solids, metal hydroxides, and precipitate.

    The precautionary principle is applied by pumping the treated water to Edward's Cove, as opposed to discharging into Camp Pond or the Reid Brook System.

    The effluent water from the treatment plant will be pumped to Edward's Cove, with submerged discharge through a diffuser. A marine diffuser is essentially an engineered segment of pipe which is located at the discharge end of the submerged outfall. A series of holes or perforations in the diffuser wall function as a venturi, thus drawing in dilution water which mixes with the pumped effluent solution. A diffuser is designed to achieve the specific dilution ratio required for a particular application. The dilution of the effluent stream with the surrounding marine water, which is achieved via the diffuser, reduces the potential plume or temperature stratification effects in the vicinity of the outfall.

    The sludge produced in the water treatment plant will be pumped for disposal in Headwater Pond via the tailings pipeline. The total sludge will be approximately 400,000 m3 over the life of the operation, which is a very small quantity compared to the tailings and mineralized mine rock volume that will go into Headwater Pond.


    3.8.3.6 Tailings Disposal During Underground Operations

     The precautionary principle is also applied with the decision to dispose tailings in Headwater Pond first, and then the North Tailings Basin at a later date. Should significantly less than 150 million tonnes of ore be ultimately mined, the need for only one basin (Headwater Pond) could be possible.

    Mill tailings from the processing of underground ore will be placed in the North Tailings Basin. This basin has been designed to contain about 95.3 million tonnes (59.6 million m3) of tailings.

    Water management within the basin is an important operational consideration. The water level in the main basin will be lowered to an elevation of about 128 m above sea level (asl) from 131.5 m (asl).

    Tailings will be pumped from the mill, east to Headwater Pond via the original tailings pipeline, and then north to the North Tailings Basin via a new pipeline and pump station. The main pipeline will be set at an elevation of about 153 m (asl) along the south shore of the upper basin. From the main pipeline, a series of discharge pipes will extend north into the basin.

    During the ice free season (May to October), tailings deposition will be carried out within the shallower areas of the basin, where regular movement of the discharge point is required. During the winter months, the tailings discharge point will be situated over the deeper areas. Therefore, the requirement to move the tailings discharge point during the winter months will be reduced.


    3.8.3.7 Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal During Underground Operations

     A total of 7.8 million tonnes of mineralized mine rock will be placed in Headwater Pond during underground operations. This rock will be placed in the central and eastern portions of the basin, using the dump and doze methodology described previously for pit operations.


    3.8.3.8 Water Treatment and Discharge at North Tailings Basin During Underground Operations

     This section briefly outlines the treatment and discharge plans associated with the North Tailings Basin during underground operations.

    The North Tailings Basin will receive tailings from ore processing. The North Tailings Basin will provide reclaim water for process use in the mill.

    Metallurgical testing of the disseminated ores has shown that the tailings may contain a clay content that settles slowly. Although the North Tailings Basin provides an extended settling time (two to three years), it is conceivable that under some conditions, short circuiting could produce elevated levels of suspended solids.

    Should high suspended solids or unacceptable pH occur, conventional treatment methods would be implemented so that effluent standards are met. Conventional waste water treatment for base metal tailings effluents includes:


    After precipitates are formed, settling will occur in either a mechanical clarifier and/or a settling basin. The settled precipitates will be placed in the North Tailings Basin .

    The water balance indicates that the excess water from the North Tailings Basin will be about 2.68 million m3 per year. This water will be discharged via a pipeline and submerged diffuser into Kangeklualuk Bay. Because the basin has large storage potential, there is good flexibility associated with the operation of the water treatment plant. Assuming ten months of operation per year (two months downtime and equipment repair), the plant would operate at a nominal flowrate of 8900 m3 per day.

    The discharged effluent will comply with the Metal Mining Liquid Effluent Regulations.


    3.8.3.9 Water Treatment and Discharge at the Mill Site During Underground Operations

     The following sources of plant site water treatment circuit influent are anticipated during this stage of the Project:


    The influent will primarily consist of the lime process wastewater from the mill. These waters will have a pH in the range of 10 to 12, and will therefore require pH adjustment prior to discharge. The annual lime circuit flow rate will be about 5.6 million m3.

    The discharged effluent to Anaktalak Bay will comply with the Metal Mining Liquid Effluent Regulations.


    3.8.3.10 Water Management at Tailings Disposal Facilities After Site Closure

     The precautionary principle is applied in observing overflow water characteristics from Headwater Pond during the underground mining period. Mitigative measures, monitoring, and analysis during this 17 year period will lead to more proven remedial measures upon closure.

    Upon completion of mine operations, both Headwater Pond and the North Tailings Basin will require management of water flows resulting from run-off and precipitation.

    At Headwater Pond, a permanent spillway will be constructed at Dam H1, and the overflow will be directed east to Throat Bay. It is not anticipated that this overflow will require treatment, however if treatment is required the existing treatment facility will be operated until overflow quality meets the required specifications.

    The overflow from the North Tailings Basin will be treated for pipeline discharge into Kangeklualuk Bay. Once treatment is no longer required, a permanent spillway will be constructed at Dam N2, allowing the water to flow naturally to the southeast. It is not expected that treatment will be required for an extended period of time. The west and south diversions will be removed, and the drainage will be restored to its natural condition.


    3.8.4 Water Management

     Mill operations include flotation separation processes. These processes operate in a continuous manner and require large influent volumes of clean process water.

    Recycled water will be used within the mill. However, the quality of the different process water streams limits the water recycle capability. The introduction of a greater amount of recycled water may degrade the flotation process, resulting in an economic loss, or potentially even a shutdown of the mill. Accordingly, freshwater is required for a portion of the influent water to the mill.

    The volume of water required for mill operation is a function of the annual planned mill throughput. The mill designed for the Project will operate at a nominal rate of about 20,000 tonnes/day. Seasonal operations are planned during open pit mining, and then continuous year round operations during underground mining. The annual mill water influent will be 11.5 million m3 during underground operations.

    Flexibility of operation is therefore a critical feature of any water management plan. Precipitation is the principal source of freshwater addition into the water management system and may vary considerably from year to year. However, water management planning prior to operation is generally based on average base-case precipitation conditions. The plan will allow flexibility to operate the mill during dry and wet seasons.

    A water management plan describes the inflows and outflows of water for the different Project components during operation. The objectives of the plan are to:



    3.8.4.1 Water Requirements

     Separate water supply systems will be established at the plant and port. The plant site will require process water and freshwater for the mill, potable water, and fire protection water systems. The port site will require potable water and saltwater for fire protection.

    Plant Site Water

    The mill will require the following sources of water:


    Process water reclaim from the North Tailings Basin will be required during underground operations. Water requirements for the mill will be satisfied as much as possible by reclaiming process water from both Headwater Pond and the North Tailings Basin. Water reclaimed from these facilities will be used for process requirements.

    The mill also requires freshwater for specific process applications (i.e., reagent mixing, gland water supply, seal water, and steam washing). The Camp Pond freshwater supply system will be used for this purpose and also for the fire protection systems at the plant site.

    Accommodations Complex

    The estimated water consumption for the accommodations complex is 105,000 litres/day based on 350 people on-site for open pit mining. This consumption rate would increase to approximately 210,000 litres/day when the on-site work force expands to 700. Potable water will be supplied from drilled wells in the Reid Brook valley near the plant site. Water tanks located adjacent to the accommodations complex will provide adequate storage to safeguard against potable water supply interruptions. Water from the tanks will be chlorinated and pumped throughout the accommodations complex, as required.

    Port Site Water

    Potable water at the port site will be supplied from a well drilled near the port. The dedicated port site water supply system will have facilities similar to those located at the accommodations complex.


    3.8.4.2 Wastewater/Storm Water

     An objective of the water management plan is to reduce the surface water affected by the Project. Ditches will be constructed to divert the uncontaminated surface run-off around the Project areas. Diversion ditches will be constructed to direct storm and runoff (particularly, in the spring) from the mine/plant site area into either the South Sedimentation Pond, Surge Pond, or the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond. These facilities are being designed to temporarily contain storm water runoff prior to the water being reused or treated before discharge to Edward's Cove. Open pit and underground mine water will also be treated, then directed to Edward's Cove.


    3.8.4.3 Water Balance and Water Diversions

    Preliminary water balances for the site are illustrated in Figures 3.30, 3.31, and 3.32.

    Start-up of Open Pit Operations

    A relatively low annual demand for process water influent from Camp Pond, Plant Site Sedimentation Pond, and Headwater Pond is projected during start-up.

    Open Pit Operations

    During open pit mining and the transition to underground mining, there will be full scale seasonal production with all mill and water management systems fully commissioned. This results in greater reclaim requirements from both Headwater Pond and the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond. The net effect of this increase in recirculation is a small decrease in the water requiring treatment and discharge to Edward's Cove, as compared to start-up.

    Underground Operations

    During underground mining, all excess water from Headwater Pond will be reclaimed as influent to the mill. In addition, all Plant Site Sedimentation Pond water will be directed for use as mill influent. Water reclaim will also occur from the North Tailings Basin.

    Treated effluent is discharged as required to both Edward's Cove and Kangeklualuk Bay during this stage of operations.

    Open Pit

    The open pit will be dewatered for its operational life. The open pit may continue to be dewatered during underground operations. Interceptor ditch/berms will be constructed around the perimeter of the open pit to prevent surface run-off from entering the pit. The clean run-off intercepted from the perimeter of the pit will be directed to the South Sedimentation Pond.

    In addition to surface drainage, inflows to the open pit include direct precipitation and groundwater flow. During the months of December to April the allowance for precipitation is increased by 100% over precipitation inflow from May to November. This increase takes into account snow blowing into the pit. Groundwater will accumulate over the winter and discharge in a pattern similar to surface run-off. The total average annual discharge from the open pit is estimated to be about 0.7 million m3 .

    All water from open pit dewatering will be pumped to the Surge Pond. Water from the Surge Pond will be subsequently pumped to the water treatment circuit prior to discharge in Edward's Cove.

    Storage Facilities and Mill Area

    Run-off from the overburden and rock storage piles and the mill area are a potential source of surface water contamination. These surface storage piles include the South Overburden Storage, Peat and Organics Storage, and the North and East Mine Rock Storage (Figure 3.5).

    All run-off from these storage facilities will be directed to the South Sedimentation Pond and Surge Ponds. A diversion dam will be constructed at the easterly extent of the rock storage facility to divert run-off to the east. Intercepted run-off will be directed to the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond.

    Run-off from the northwestern perimeter of the South Overburden Storage will be intercepted and directed to a watercourse near the western limit of the facility. The interceptor berms on the pit perimeter will direct run-off to the South Sedimentation Pond. Based on the water balance the average accumulation of spring run-off in the South Sedimentation Pond will be 470,000 m3. Spring run-off will be pumped to the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond at a constant rate over a six month period from June to November. The average annual net inflow to the South Sedimentation Pond is about 1.25 million m3 .

    The Plant Site Sedimentation Pond will receive an average annual net inflow of approximately 2.2 million m3 .

    Diversions - Headwater Pond

    Headwater Pond will serve as a co-disposal facility for both tailings and mineralized mine rock. During operations, excess water that cannot be used in the mill will be treated and discharged to Edward's Cove (Figure 3.29 to Figure 3.32 inclusive). At decommissioning, Headwater Pond discharge will be directed east to Throat Bay. The Headwater Pond watershed will therefore be permanently removed from the Reid Brook watershed.

    The open pit operations water balance includes direct precipitation on the 139 ha water surface area of the Headwater Pond, and runoff from the surrounding 212 ha land area. Losses include evaporation from Headwater Pond, reclaim water to the mill, and excess water for treatment and discharge to Edward's Cove.

    The annual net flow from Headwater Pond to the treatment facility will decrease from 1.17 million m3 per year during start-up to about 0.26 million m3 per year during open pit operations. During underground operations, reclaim water from Headwater Pond will be directed to the mill and/or the water treatment plant for discharge to Edward's Cove.

    North Tailings Basin

    To reduce the quantity of clean surface water run-off entering the basin, two sub-watersheds, totalling about 1700 ha to the west and south will be diverted around the North Tailings Basin.

    Figure 3.30 Water Balance Schematic during Start-up Period

    Following diversion construction, inflows to the facility include direct precipitation, run-off and the tailings from the mill. Losses include evaporation, water retained by tailings, and reclaim water which will be pumped to the mill to satisfy mill water requirements not provided by Headwater Pond recirculation and freshwater from Camp Pond.

    Under existing conditions, outflow from the east end of the basin discharges to both the south and the northeast. The purpose of Dam N3 is to redirect the drainage of the tailings facility to Kangeklualuk Bay. The purpose of Dam N4 and Dam N5 is to divert flow from their respective upstream drainage areas into a diversion channel or pipe, thereby bypassing the tailings basin. Dam N6 is located at a low point in the tailings basin perimeter and prevents surface water discharge from the basin into the north watershed.

    For the average base case conditions, the net annual excess water volume within the tailings area is about 2.68 million m3. Treatment and discharge will take place over 12 months.

    Figure 3.31 Water Balance Schematic during Open Pit Operations

    Camp Pond and Groundwater Supply

    Camp Pond has been designated as a source for freshwater. On the basis of mill operational requirements, the reclaim from Camp Pond is up to 1.1 million m3 per year. No mill effluent will discharge to Camp Pond.

    Figure 3.32Water Balance Schematic during Underground Operations

    3.8.5 Transportation

     The Project will require a port facility to be constructed on Anaktalak Bay (Edward's Cove) and an airstrip south of Headwater Pond.


    3.8.5.1 Marine Transportation System Overview

     Operational consumables, including mine re-supply materials, new equipment, fuel, and general container cargoes, will most likely be shipped to the port site at Edward's Cove via the concentrate vessels on back-haul trips. Other large quantity consumables may be shipped directly from suppliers. Operating, mining, milling and maintenance supplies, including catering and housekeeping goods, will usually be containerized. Perishables and other consumables may be shipped as air freight through Happy Valley-Goose Bay. During the summer season it is anticipated that some materials and supplies may be shipped via the regular Labrador coastal vessel service to Edward's Cove.

    At all times, the order of priority for the transportation decisions shall be the safety of life, protection of the marine environment, ship safety, and cargo security. Considerations in the development of the marine transportation system are as following:



    Shipping Schedule

    An extended shipping season will enable shipping to continue during the winter, with closure periods during the freeze-up and early spring. Winter shipping will be conducted in accordance with the procedures described in Chapter 9.


    3.8.5.2 Government Marine Related Acts and Regulations

    The transportation of all cargoes is regulated by the federal government through a number of Acts:

    Canadian Transportation Act,
    Canada Shipping Act     (currently under review with intent to draft new legislation),
    Canadian Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act (currently under review),
    Navigable Waters Protection Act,
    Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act,
    Department of Transport Act,
    Safe Containers Convention Act,
    Pilotage Act,
    Marine Transportation Security Act, and
    The Canada Labour Code.


    In addition to the above-mentioned Acts, there are regulations made under the authority of the acts incorporating standards or specifications by reference.

    The following list of Regulations is a sample of regulations issued under the Canada Shipping Act regulating Canadian vessel operations and foreign vessels while operating in Canadian waters:

    Aids to Navigation Protection Regulations
    Air Pollution Regulations
    Boat and Fire Drill Regulations
    Charts and Nautical Publications Regulations, 1995
    Dangerous Chemicals and Noxious Liquid Substances Regulations
    Classed Ships Inspection Regulations, 1988
    Collision Regulations
    Crew Accommodation Regulations
    Dangerous Bulk Materials Regulations
    Dangerous Goods Shipping Regulations
    Eastern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zone Regulations
    Emergency Position Indicating Buoy Regulations
    EPIRB Regulations
    Fire Detection and Extinguishing Equipment Regulations
    Garbage Pollution Prevention Regulations
    General Load Line Rules
    Home-Trade, Inland and Minor Waters Voyages Regulations
    Hull Inspection Regulations
    Life Saving Equipment Regulations
    Load Line Regulations (Sea)
    Marine Machinery Regulations
    Navigating Appliances and Equipment Regulations
    Oil Pollution Prevention Regulations
    Pilot Ladder Regulations
    Pollutant Discharge Reporting Regulations
    Pollutant Substances Regulations
    Response Organizations and Oil Handling Facilities Regulations
    Safe Manning Regulations
    Safe Working Practices Regulations
    Safety Convention Certificate Regulations
    Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund Regulations
    Ship Station Radio Regulations
    Ship Station Technical Regulations
    Ship's Tonnage Survey and Measurement Fees Regulations
    Shipping Casualties Reporting Regulations
    Shipping Inquiries and Investigations Rules
    Ships' Crews Food and Catering Regulations
    Ships' Deck Watch Regulations
    Ships' Elevator Regulations
    Steamships Carrying Cargo Containers Order
    Steering Appliances and Equipment Regulations
    Tackle Regulations
    Vessel Traffic Services Zones Regulations and the
    VHF Radiotelephone Practices and Procedures Regulations


    There is a preference for vessels engaged within the Canadian coasting trade to be Canadian registered. These Canadian registered vessels will be capable of transporting containers and the required mine fuel back to the port site at Edward's Cove. All ships chartered or otherwise used during the construction and/or operation of the Project will be required to comply with the requirements of the Canada Shipping Act for that particular vessel and voyage, including relevant International and Canadian laws and regulations.


    3.8.5.3 Shipping Vessels

     Shipping vessels will have a capacity of up to 50,000 DWT. Vessels used to move the concentrate may be vessels chartered from the spot market capable of transporting the concentrate from the mine site to the final destination in a safe and efficient manner. The subsequent modelling for the EIS was performed using a standard 25,000 DWT ship.
    An outline description of a typical 25,000 DWT ship is as follows:

    Class International recognized Classification Society
    Ice Class International recognized Classification Society
    Grt (Gross Registered Tonnes) 17,000 t
    Nrt (Net Registered Tonnes) 9,000 t
    Loa (Length Overall) 170.0 m
    Beam 25.0 m
    Draft 10.6 m
    DWT 25,000 t
    Fuel 5,000 t
    Ballast 8,000 t
    Suitable Crainage  
    RoRo (roll on/roll off) Capability  
    Container Capacity  
    Cargo Holds to be Strengthened for the Carriage of Concentrate

    Navigational equipment will be fitted and maintained in accordance with the Navigating Appliances and Equipment Regulations. Communication's equipment and the operation of such equipment will be in accordance with the latest Ship Station Radio Regulations, the Ship Station Technical Regulations and the VHF Radiotelephone Practices and Procedures Regulations.

    Ships performing shipping services for the Project will comply with regulated ice class requirements for a vessel of the type and sizes selected.

    All vessels are required to operate in compliance with the requirements and guidelines as provided for in the Canadian government publication, Ice Navigation in Canadian Waters and other applicable Ice Navigation regulated requirements including the Canadian requirements for the International Ship Management Code (ISM Code) certification. All vessels will have a sufficient ballast draft to afford good performance in ice where required.

    All marine vessels will be classed with a recognized international ship classification authority. This classification will cover the vessel's hull and machinery. Vessels will be required to have in place required cargo insurance to satisfy the carrier's responsibilities under the Canadian Carriage of Goods by Water Act. In addition, there will be a requirement for the vessels to have standard Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance covering third party claims, including pollution coverage to satisfy the requirements for clean-up, civil liability and compensation for pollution as required under Part XVI of the Canada Shipping Act.


    3.8.5.4 Shipping Routes

     Criteria for selecting the best shipping approach to Edward's Cove include water depth, channel width, location of hazards, vessel maneuvers required, and the vessel size. The evaluation includes detailed bathymetric surveys being conducted by VBNC, as well as those already conducted by the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS). Three shipping routes are presently being evaluated to determine their suitability for use by ships transporting concentrate or other materials.

    The three shipping routes are:


    Further work is being conducted to fully evaluate each of these potential routes so that adequately sized ships will be able to enter Edward's Cove safely. For shipping analyses contemplated by the EIS, the Northern Route (Figure 3.33) was used for modelling purposes as it appears to be the best route based on the information currently available. For the purposes of this EIS, the Northern Route shall be deemed to be the "Shipping Route".


    3.8.5.5 Air Transport

     During operations, workers and supplies will be transported by regularly scheduled chartered aircraft. Personnel will be flown to and from the site on a rotating schedule consistent with their job functions and responsibilities. Dash 8 or equivalent and turbo prop aircraft will be used. Four to six flights per week are projected. Non-scheduled flights to meet specific requirements may occur periodically.

    Personnel may be transported from additional pick-up points, such as St. John's and Deer Lake. The requirement for additional labour during operations may necessitate establishing pick-up points beyond Labrador.

    A gravel airstrip will be operated year-round. Airstrip maintenance requirements are minimal once a well-graded and compacted fill is placed on the surface.

    Only emergency fuel storage, with suitable containment will be located at the airstrip. De-icing will be conducted at the apron. The de-icing compound will be glycol based.

    Figure 3.33 Shipping Routes


    3.8.5.6 Ground Transport

     The access and haulage roads will be operated year-round. The access road leading to the airstrip will be used at a rate consistent with aircraft arrivals and departures and maintenance requirements. Road maintenance activities will include dust control as required, grading, and snowclearing. Dust will be controlled by the application of water or calcium or magnesium chloride or binders. Culverts will be inspected during spring to check for ice blockage and debris, which will be removed to aid unobstructed flow of surface water.

    The vehicle traffic on the main access road will consist primarily of 40-80 tonne concentrate haulage trucks and trucks delivering supplies and materials. The delivery trucks will transport chemicals, diesel fuel and other materials and supplies to the plant site and mine from the port facility and bulk fuel storage tanks as required.

    Other vehicles utilizing the site access road will include a grader for road repair and maintenance, boom trucks, dump trucks, a water truck for dust control, personnel carriers, and pick-up trucks.

    The service roads will be utilized by service and maintenance vehicles for repairs and maintenance of the water and tailings pipelines and electrical power distribution lines along the road right-of-ways.

    The haulage roads will be primarily travelled by ore and mine rock haulage trucks (100 tonnes). Excavators and graders will be used to repair and maintain the haulage roads. The haulage roads will also be used by service and maintenance vehicles for repairs and maintenance to the water and tailings pipelines and electrical power distribution lines along the haulage road right-of-way, and by pick-up trucks.


    3.8.6 Ancillary Facilities

    3.8.6.1 Electric Power Supply

     The electrical power required for Project operations is estimated at 30 MW for the initial open pit and mill operation, with additional power required for the underground mining development. When underground mining is developed and operational, the combined mine and mill will require additional power.

    Power to the concentrator, port and infrastructure facilities will be provided by a diesel power plant located at the northwest corner of the mill building. The power plant will be in a separate building, approximately 65 m long 20 m high at roof peak, with an exhaust stack. Outdoor heat dump radiators, located immediately north of the power plant, encompass an area approximately 40 m by 20 m.

    The power plant will be located at the northwest corner of the concentrator building and will supply the estimated 30 MW of power that will be required for initial open pit and mill operations. Additional power will be required during underground operations. The prime requirements of the power plant are safety, reliability, and environmental compliance.

    The prime requirements of the power plant are safety, reliability, and environmental compliance. The power plant will be continuously monitored and will have a complete control room within the power plant building. Stack and ventilation silencers, and acoustic design, will be used to prevent noise levels outside the power plant from exceeding the regulated limits. The power plant will be equipped with automatic controls, fire alarm and protection systems, building heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as telephone communications. Emergency alarms will be visible and audible in the power plant, and will be relayed to the mill control room as well.

    To ensure that power for safety and life preservation will always be available, two emergency diesel generators, rated at approximately 2 MW each, will be provided, separate from the power plant.

    The power plant will be designed to operate on diesel fuel, to meet the forecasted peak demand of 30 MW and average demand of 25 MW. Power will be generated at 4.16  kV.

    Exhaust gas will be used to supplement concentrate drying and engine coolant will be used for site building heating. Both of these features are an economic utilization of waste heat.

    Heat distribution from the power plant and emergency boilers to the buildings and facilities within the plant site area will be provided through a 50% by weight ethylene glycol/water mixture.

    Power will be distributed on site by overhead lines designed to withstand ice and wind load typical for the area. A step-up substation adjacent to the main power plant will supply the port facility, the explosive plant, the water pumping station, the tailings and mineralized mine rock disposal areas, the airstrip, and the mine site.


    3.8.6.2 Accommodations Complex

     The accommodations complex will consist of prefabricated residential modular units, with a central complex housing the dining, services and recreation areas. The complex will initially provide accommodation for 350 personnel on an alternate shift basis. Accommodations will be expanded to 700 through modular extensions as underground production comes on-stream. Employees and visitors will be accommodated in single rooms. Appropriate accommodations will be made for married couples, females, and disabled employees. All sleeping rooms will be wired for cable television and private telephone. Recreational facilities will be provided.

    The central complex will house the following facilities:


    The glycol/water distribution system from the main power plant and boilers will provide heating throughout the central complex, all common areas, and the residential wings. In the sleeping areas, the central glycol system will be supplemented by electric baseboard heaters.

    Each room will be equipped with a heat/smoke detector and a sprinkler. A central alarm system will be provided for fire protection.


    3.8.6.3 Maintenance and Warehouse Facilities

     The services complex will provide facilities for maintenance of the mine and plant mobile equipment, warehousing and storage, and offices for mine and administration personnel. The services complex will be connected to the mill and accommodations complex by personnel and services utilidors.

    Truck bays for vehicle maintenance, office space, a warehouse for supplies, and a mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and instrumentation shop will be incorporated in the service complex. Parking areas for the site fire truck, ambulance, and emergency response unit will be within the complex.

    A storage building will be built near the maintenance/service complex.


    3.8.7 Fuel and Hazardous Materials Storage


    Fuel

    Annual fuel consumption for the diesel power plant and mine equipment has been estimated at 85 million litres for open pit operations. Requirements could be in excess of 100 million litres for the underground operations.

    The storage facilities will have a capacity of approximately 60 million litres of diesel in six tanks measuring approximately 36 m in diameter and 10 m in height. The off loading of the diesel will be at the permanent dock, which will be equipped with metered electronic counters, compensators, and transmitters to relay information to a central point for processing. The tanks will be located in an earth filled dyke with a suitable liner designed for 100% of one tank plus 10% capacity of the remaining tanks. Tank level will be monitored at a central location with appropriate alarms. Manual operation of tank valving will be optimized within the design.

    Fire protection measures will be provided at the tank farm to meet the National Fire Code of Canada.

    Fuel for permanent power and boilers will be pumped in underground pipelines from the mill site storage tanks directly to the power plant. Wall hydrants will be located in the mill to provide fire protection for the fuel facilities.

    Fuel storage at the mill site will have a capacity of approximately 2 million litres of diesel oil in three tanks. Tanks will be filled by trucks at two fixed loading arms adjacent to an electronic metering station equipped with counters, compensators, and transmitters capable of relaying information to a central point for processing. Valving will be provided to enable dual supply/return of diesel to boilers/dryers and generators.

    Two refuelling locations will be provided. The main fuel storage and refuelling station for the concentrate haul trucks and site mobile equipment will be located at the access road entrance area. The refuelling station for the mine haul trucks and mine equipment will be located on the south side of the mill site, at the mine haul road entry location. Each will have a capacity of approximately 50,000 litres.

    Waste oil will be collected in a 30,000 litre (approximate) tank and disposed of either off-site or recycled as fuel for the boilers, generators, or explosives manufacture.
    All areas where spillage may occur will be contained and collected into an oil-water separator system; all waste oil will be pumped to the waste oil storage tank for disposal.

    A mobile fuel truck will also deliver diesel to the open pit mobile equipment portable generators and other facilities and equipment as required.

    Gasoline will be stored in drums inside an appropriate dyke or will be stored in ISO containers.

    Other Hazardous Materials

    In addition to diesel fuel and gasoline, there will be requirements for lubricants, hydraulic fluids, and propane during the underground operations. Approximately 25,000 litres of lubricants and 100,000 litres of hydraulic fluids will be required on an annual basis. Propane will be used to heat the mine air during underground operations and also for emergency heat. The lubricants, hydraulic fluids and small propane tanks will be stored in their shipping containers at the port and plant sites. During underground operations a larger propane tank farm will be required for mine air heating.

    Facilities for storing explosives and primers will be located away from the mine site along the service road. An adequate inventory of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil (ANFO) and/or emulsions will be kept on site.

    Containerized process reagents will be received and stored in an outdoor laydown area at the port and adjacent to the mill. Mixing and holding facilities will be inside the mill building.


    3.8.8 Waste Management

     Waste generated on-site will be collected, stored and disposed of in a manner consistent with the environmental regulations of Newfoundland and Labrador. The storage and transport of all waste will conform with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and the Newfoundland and Labrador Waste Material Disposal Act and accompanying regulations.


    3.8.8.1 Refuse Disposal

     Domestic and office waste will be collected in covered, bear-proof metal containers and incinerated on site. A 100 kg/hour incinerator located at the plant site will be equipped with a second-stage after-burner for emission control. Ash from the incinerator and non-combustible waste will be buried in an approved landfill on site.


    3.8.8.2 Sewage Disposal

    The principal sewage treatment facility for site operations will be a sequencing batch reactor type plant or equivalent installed at the plant site. The effluent from the sewage treatment plant will be directed to Camp Pond during the construction period and to Edward's Cove during operation.


    3.8.8.3 Disposal of Other Materials

     Other materials which will be stored and used on the site and which will require disposal during the operations include the following:


    Petroleum Products

    Petroleum products include diesel fuel, transmission and hydraulic oil, waste motor oil, and grease.

    Contaminated diesel fuel which is unusable in any of the facilities on site because of impurities will be stored for off-site disposal with a licensed disposal company. Waste transmission and hydraulic oils will be stored in drums and shipped off-site for disposal by a licensed disposal company. Shipping drums that are non-reusable or returnable, will be drained and used to store spent oil filters and oily rags. Waste motor oil will be placed in the 30,000 litre waste oil tank. Periodically, the oil will be removed from the tank and shipped off-site for disposal with a licensed disposal company, or if regulatory approval is received, burned as fuel in the on-site power plant. Spent oil filters will be drained, stored in drums for removal from the site, and sent to an off-site licenced facility.

    Mill Process Chemicals

    Mill process chemicals will generally be shipped in reusable, returnable bulk shipping containers. As a result, any small unused quantities of chemicals within these containers will be shipped off-site with the container.

    Spent Glycol

    Should on site disposal or recycle not be possible, spent glycol from the plant site heating system and from the airstrip de-icing system will be containerized and shipped for off-site disposal by a licensed disposal company.


    3.8.9 Labour Force

     The permanent labour force will increase as mine operations progress from open pit to underground. Approximately 420 workers (250 workers on site at any one time) will be engaged during open pit operations. Underground development will proceed simultaneously with open pit operations, requiring an additional 60 to 260 contract employees.

    Work schedules will be two weeks on/two weeks off for most employees. Senior site personnel may be required to work on a modified work schedule. Most employees will work extended work days. It is expected that some specific work, such as any additional construction, will be undertaken by contractors. The estimated personnel requirements during open pit operations are listed in Table 3.19.

    Table 3.19 Estimated Personnel Requirements During Open Pit Operations
    Occupation Number
    Mine Management/ Supervision 3
    Engineering/Geology/Planning 22
    Environment/Health & Safety 7
    Maintenance/Electrical/Instrumentation 78
    Mine Production 83
    Mine General Labourers 12
    Surface Operators 42
    Mill Operators 30
    Mill General Labourers 38
    Mill Staff 17
    Human Resources 8
    Accounting and Warehousing 32
    Catering/Housekeeping/Security 48
    Total 420

    Personnel requirements during underground mining operations will be influenced by the mine design and mining methods that will ultimately be employed. As a result, personnel estimates during the underground mining stage, as set forth in Table 3.20, are based on a very limited level of information.

    Table 3.20 Estimated Personnel Requirements During Underground Mining Operations
    Occupation Number
    Administration 4
    Mines 550
    Mines Technical Personnel 36
    Mill 78
    Assay Lab 18
    Surface/Power Plant/Central Maintenance 80
    Human Resources 12
    Concentrate Handling 32
    Port 12
    Purchasing & Warehousing 40
    Catering & Housekeeping 66
    Security 8
    Environmental, Health and Safety 14
    Total 950

    In addition, ongoing underground development, which will be likely performed by a contractor, will continue on an annual basis with approximately 150 employees. Halfway through underground operations, this number will begin to decrease.


    3.8.10 Equipment and Services

     A Project of this size and scope typically requires heavy machinery such as loaders, haul trucks, bulldozers, graders, cranes, crushers, and other equipment. In addition to equipment, materials and services will also be required. Anticipated equipment requirements are listed in Table 3.21.

    Table 3.21 Site and Yard Equipment Requirements
    Equipment Estimated Number of Units
    Heavy Equipment/Earthworks 10
    Haulage Trucks 14
    Service Vehicles 4
    Materials Handling 6
    Personnel Carriers 3
    Utility Vehicles 12
    Road Maintenance 4
    Emergency Response Vehicles 3

    Although some services may be performed on a contract basis, the total personnel required to provide these services has been accounted for in the estimated requirements for personnel described in this section.

    Major potential contracts proposed during operations include but are not limited to:



    3.9 Project Decommissioning and Post-Decommissioning

     VBNC is committed to reducing residual environmental effects at the Project site upon mine closure in compliance with the Mineral Act, the Environmental Assessment Act, and the Regulation of Mines Act. A mine decommissioning plan will provide for infrastructure on site to be rehabilitated to restore the site to a safe and environmentally stable condition.


    3.9.1 Closure and Reclamation Plan

     Specific details of the mine closure plan will evolve as mining progresses such that a final plan will be generated several years before eventual mine closure. Mining and reclamation will be conducted in a manner that reduces post-closure maintenance and monitoring. In addition, progressive reclamation activities will be conducted during operations as part of the overall site reclamation plan.

    The policies and principles associated with VBNC's Closure and Reclamation Plan are described in Chapter 4. The following sections outline the details of the proposed reclamation and decommissioning activities.


    3.9.1.1 Open Pit and Underground Mines

     The reclamation plan for the open pit will be designed for the long-term physical stability of the pit slopes and chemical stability of surface water and groundwater resources through appropriate prevention and control measures for acid drainage.

    Long term stability of the pit slopes will be achieved by ensuring the final pit walls are excavated to a stable slope angle. The open pit will remain fully open and dewatered until all of the open pit mining has been completed. Following cessation of open pit operations, the pit may be allowed to flood, resulting in the formation of a pond. However, underground activities may require that the pit remain dewatered until the end of mine life at which time the pit will be flooded.

    Flooding will be allowed to occur naturally from groundwater inflows, snowmelt, and rainfall within the pit catchment.

    Pit water will be monitored on a regular basis as flooding proceeds. If it is not suitable for discharge prior to pit overflow, the pit water will be treated at the Plant Site Water Treatment Plant and then discharged to Edward's Cove.

    Modelling calculations for loadings of sulphate and nickel in the pit water has suggested that if appropriate measures are taken and the pit is allowed to flood soon after mining ceases, the water quality in the pit should be acceptable for abandonment. When monitoring indicates that acceptable water quality has been achieved, natural discharges to downstream waterbodies will be allowed to resume.

    Underground workings may be backfilled if warranted. Any underground mine openings which are exposed on surface at the time of mine closure will be sealed.


    3.9.1.2 Overburden, Mine Rock, and Tailings Disposal Areas

     Overburden and non-mineralized mine rock disposal facilities will be constructed with slope angles for long term stability. Revegetation will be established on portions of the disposal facilities through a program of top dressing and seeding or transplanting as necessary to ultimately encourage the establishment of indigenous plant species.

    The tailings dams will be constructed to provide long term and low maintenance containment of the mine tailings under an adequate water cover. Revegetation will be encouraged on the embankment structure to provide long term, maintenance-free erosion and sedimentation control.


    3.9.1.3 Infrastructure

     The closure of surface facilities associated with the underground mining will include the removal of all surface buildings, including all headframes, and the proper sealing of all open holes and entranceways to the underground mine.

    Concrete foundations will be demolished or covered where appropriate. Areas of surficial disturbance will be graded and contoured as necessary to ensure physical stability and landscape diversity. Where site conditions require, a cover layer of soil will be placed on the surface to aid in the re-establishment of vegetation, either through planting or the succession of natural species.

    Fuel and chemical storage tanks and containers will be emptied and removed. Any areas of significant hydrocarbon or chemical contamination will be remediated to meet all applicable guidelines and regulations.

    Culverts and water crossing structures will be removed from all site roads to re-establish natural drainage conditions in order to prevent water buildup or channelling, which could lead to erosion. The airstrip, roads, and permanent wharf may be left in place to serve as emergency facilities, if this is considered beneficial at the time of mine closure. This decision will be made in consultation with area residents prior to closure. Sedimentation pond dams will be breached to re-establish natural drainage and both the dam and any contained sediment will be stabilized against erosion.

    Following mine closure, a regular inspection and monitoring program will be implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of the closure plan. This will include regular inspections of water quality, pit wall stability, mine rock dump stability, and revegetation success.


    3.9.2 Reclamation Plan

     "Reclamation is designed to restore to an acceptable state the physical, chemical, and biological quality of the environmental resources disturbed by mineral exploration or development. (Sustainable Development and Minerals and Metals; An Issues Paper by Natural Resources Canada, September 1995, p. 36)

    Post-closure environmental effects associated with the development and operation of the Project will primarily be controlled and mitigated through reclamation. Reclamation will form an integral part of the mine plan and be ongoing over the life of the Project through a progressive reclamation program.

    The results of the environmental test studies will be used to help identify stable landforms, suitable plant growth media (soil), and plant types and species to be used during reclamation. For example, test plots will be prepared and evaluated during operations.

    The reclamation plan will encourage a natural succession of indigenous plant species within disturbed site areas. To achieve this, there will be some instances where intermediate steps will be required to control soil stability over an appropriate time period to permit natural revegetation. In addition, rock slopes or other site features may not permit revegetation, and alternative reclamation methods will be used to ensure long term stability. Specific revegetation procedures are provided in Appendix 3B.

    Because the Project site is sub-arctic and near the ocean, the reclamation plan must meet specific challenges and limitations related to cool short summers, high precipitation levels in the form of both rain and snow, cold winters, and intermittent permafrost. These conditions typically result in slow growth rates, limited seed production, and a reduction in the rate that organic matter decays and provides nutrients. Because there are many Project components, the reclamation plan defines specific reclamation criteria for different areas.

    The reclamation plan is based on the current level of biophysical information and mine planning and development detail. As the Project advances, the reclamation plan will be regularly updated and refined to reflect changes in mine development and operating plans, and environmental conditions. Surficial disturbances as a result of previous exploration activities will be reclaimed as part of the site reclamation program.

    The following sections provide detail for decommissioning and reclamation of specific Project components.


    3.9.2.1 Plant Site and Concentrate Storage Area

     Site activities will require the continued use of the plant site and accommodations complex, and the concentrate storage area until mine operations cease and ore concentrate production and shipping is complete. Where practical and operationally possible, the buildings and services will be designed and constructed to facilitate removal and site reclamation. Progressive reclamation will be conducted to stabilize and, where appropriate, revegetate slopes, cuts and other areas of fill and site disturbance created during construction.

    Decommissioning

    Buildings and surface structures will be dismantled or demolished. Portable or prefabricated buildings which can be removed will be taken off site. Equipment associated with the buildings and facilities will be disconnected and removed in conjunction with the dismantling and removal of the buildings and facilities.

    Rehabilitation

    Free-standing concrete structures, including building or equipment foundations, will be demolished to or near surface grade and the concrete debris disposed of in an appropriate landfill. Concrete slabs, low foundations or sumps, and pits will be covered with till or infilled with mine rock or overburden.

    Following removal of all site buildings, and demolition and covering of all concrete foundations, the disturbed surface area will be graded and contoured as necessary to re-establish drainage and control surface erosion and sedimentation. To stabilize the area over the long term, a soil cover will be applied as required and vegetation established or encouraged to invade from adjacent areas.

    The fill material covering the tile field for sewage disposal at the Anaktalak Bay Camp was seeded in 1995 with robust grass species and successfully re-vegetated. The area will be monitored to assess the success of the effort, and to monitor succession by native species.

    The choice of vegetation will depend upon the type of available substrate materials, the potential for erosion and sedimentation as a result of surface runoff, and the speed at which vegetation must be established to control surficial erosion. Vegetation will be established through planting or seeding in areas where the potential for sedimentation of water courses requires rapid erosion control through the establishment of a vegetative cover. In other areas where erosion and sedimentation is not a major concern because of topography or the absence of any surface water courses, the disturbed areas may simply be scarified to loosen the surface and allowed to revegetate naturally. Top-capping with till and fertilization, or the application of other soil amendment will be conducted as required based on field conditions at the time of mine closure.


    3.9.2.2 Roads, Pipelines and Power Distribution Lines

     Decommissioning

    Water pipelines and tailings lines will be drained and removed. The discharge pipelines from the North Tailings Basin and Headwater Pond may stay in place depending on the water quality in these facilities. Electrical distribution lines will be removed and the poles taken down.

    Reclamation

    Disturbed surface areas associated with pipeline and electrical power distribution lines will be graded to achieve stable contours.

    Access and Service Roads

    Once the access and service roads are no longer required, they will be reclaimed using the following procedures:


    Haulage Roads

    The reclamation procedures for the site haulage roads will be similar to other roads on site except along sections of haulage roads constructed within and on the area of overburden or mine rock disposal facilities. These sections will be reclaimed as part of the disposal facility reclamation program. This will also apply to haulage ramps within the area of the open pit.

    Pipelines and Services Rights-of-Way

    Above ground pipelines will be removed, with the possible exception of the discharge pipelines. Underground pipelines will either be removed or drained, cleaned, capped, and left in place. Materials removed from pipeline and services rights-of-way, which cannot be salvaged, will be buried within the mine rock disposal or landfill facility. Materials that cannot be landfilled on site will be removed for off-site disposal.


    3.9.2.3 Overburden and Non-Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal Facilities

     Overburden materials will consist of organic material and glacial sand and gravel tills. The organic materials will be stockpiled in the peat and organic stock pile (southeast of the open pit). This area will remain active over the life of the Project and be a source of organic material for both progressive and final closure reclamation.

    The remaining overburden will be stockpiled in the south overburden storage area. It will be a source of till and soil for reclamation activities.

    The organics and till will be placed as a stable structure on both storage sites, with suitable slopes to ensure long term stability and reduce erosion and sedimentation as a result of surface run-off.

    The basic design concept for the disposal facility will incorporate stable side slopes, an irregular perimeter profile along the base, and variability and irregularity in surface and side slope topography. Placement will also be scheduled to permit progressive reclamation opportunities over the life of the Project.

    Decommissioning

    Other than removal of equipment, there will be no decommissioning activities associated with the overburden or mine rock storage facilities.

    Reclamation

    As the peat and organics stockpile will be active over the life of the Project and will be used as a source of organic material at final site closure, this stockpile will not require reclamation. Areas around the stockpile disturbed as a result of loading will be stabilized at the time of mine closure.

    Reclamation is the restoration of a site after mining or exploration activity is complete. In addition to removing buildings and other infrastructure, reclamation often involves contouring the land, tree planting, and possibly converting the open pit into a pond.

    As final slopes are developed during placement, progressive reclamation activities will be conducted when operationally possible to stabilize the side slopes. These activities may include top dressing the slopes with non-mineralized mine rock, or contouring the slopes to prevent erosion and promote natural revegetation.

    Top dressing of the till with organic materials and/or other soil amendments and fertilization may be used to encourage vegetation development through seeding, planting, or natural succession of native species. The extent, nature, and type of top dressing and revegetation will be finalized as specific on-site conditions are established and evaluated. The overburden disposal facility may serve as a useful location on which to establish test plots and revegetation study areas, the results of which will be incorporated into the reclamation of other disturbed site locations.

    The North and East Mine Rock Storage Facility will be constructed in a series of lifts. As the mine rock will be end-dumped, some segregation of material will occur, resulting in larger boulders accumulating at the toe of the slopes. Dumping practices along the final outside slope may also be coordinated to create an undulating surface. This will create an irregular perimeter at the base of the lifts and prevent the formation of smooth, uniform slopes.

    The proposed reclamation procedure for the top of the North and East Mine Rock Storage Facility also consists of the development of a contoured and uneven surface. Top dressing will not be placed over the entire top surface of the mine rock storage facilities, but the dressing may be applied within localized depressions and sheltered substrate to assist plant growth and development.


    3.9.2.4 Sedimentation Ponds and Diversion Channels

     Reclamation of sedimentation ponds and diversion channels will be conducted on a progressive basis, as operations permit, at the completion of mining and milling activities, or when treatment of surface water collected in the ponds is no longer required after mine closure.

    Once disturbed surface areas are reclaimed and stabilized, and natural or alternative drainage patterns re-established, the site sedimentation ponds will be decommissioned and reclaimed.

    Decommissioning

    The sedimentation ponds will be drained and any treatment and associated control equipment will be removed.

    Reclamation of Sedimentation Ponds

    Dams or embankments associated with the sedimentation ponds will be breached and a rock-lined drainage channel established if required.

    The sediment contained within the pond will be left in place unless removal is required to re-establish drainage, or it has been shown that the sediment has acid generating potential. In the latter case, this material will be moved to Headwater Pond for final disposal. Remaining material may be topdressed with non-mineralized mine rock or till and vegetated as necessary to reduce erosion and sedimentation.

    Various revegetation methods will be used, depending upon the moisture conditions and erodibility of the sediment. These methods could include transplants, seeding, or natural recolinization.

    Reclamation of Diversion Channels

    Unless the drainage channels must be infilled to permit the re-establishment of natural drainage, channels with erosion protection will typically be left in their as-built condition at mine closure. On-going assessment of vegetation growth and the general health of the established vegetation will determine if any fertilizer or other soil amendments will be necessary to maintain the vegetation following mine closure.

    For drainage channels which must be infilled, any till which was removed as part of channel construction and incorporated into construction of the channel banks will be replaced into the channel excavation. Other suitable fill will be added as required to infill the channel. Suitable top dressing, consisting of non-mineralized mine rock or soil and vegetation, will be established to stabilize the fill and reduce erosion and sedimentation as a result of surface runoff.


    3.9.2.5 Dams, Dykes and Embankments

     Dams, dykes and embankments will be constructed at Headwater Pond and at the North Tailings Basin.

    Decommissioning

    Any treatment and related control equipment associated with the dams, dykes and embankments will be removed.

    Reclamation

    Dams, dykes and embankment structures which must remain in place at the completion of site activities will be left in their as-built condition. Natural propagation of vegetation on structures may be accelerated by the addition of fertilizers or soil amendments and additional vegetation on structures may be established to complement existing plant growth.

    Dams, dykes and embankments which must be removed to re-establish natural drainage will be breached, and the resulting drainage channel stabilized with a rip-rap of coarse non-mineralized mine rock. The breached opening will be contoured to ensure stable slopes and the slopes stabilized against erosion through the use of non-mineralized mine rock or vegetation cover.


    3.9.2.6 Airstrip

     The airstrip will remain in operation until mine closure and possibly left as an emergency landing strip if requested by the local community at closure time.

    Decommissioning

    Decommissioning of the airstrip would consist of removal of the airstrip lighting, and weather station. Any permanent fuelling facilities and the de-icing pad will also be removed.

    Reclamation

    The reclamation plan for the airstrip consists of two options, depending upon the potential use of the airstrip for emergency purposes following the cessation of Project activities. If the airstrip is to be left in an operating condition, the facility will be left in an as-built condition.

    If the airstrip is not to be left in an operating condition following mine closure, the surface will be scarified to loosen the surface cover, and will revegetate through natural succession. Depending upon the nature and extent of vegetation around the area of the airstrip, selected plots of vegetation may be established on the airstrip to promote and assist revegetation.


    3.9.2.7 Underground Mine Openings

     The primary areas of surficial disturbance associated with the underground mine operations will include a mine shaft, ventilation and service raises, and surface buildings near the mine shaft.

    Decommissioning

    When the underground mine operations close, all mobile equipment will be removed. All other stationary equipment, salvageable materials, and supplies such as fans, pumps, transformers, cranes, maintenance tools, and supplies, will also be removed from the underground operation. Surface equipment including the mine hoist, ventilation fans, and mine air heaters and their associated electrical control systems will be disconnected and removed.

    Reclamation

    All underground mine openings, including shafts, horizontal adits and ramps which are exposed on surface at the time of mine closure will be sealed in accordance with provincial mining regulations. If the mine opening must be retained for future access, temporary closure methods will be used, otherwise the mine openings will be permanently sealed.

    Mine openings will be permanently sealed using a concrete cap, cast in place over the shaft or raise opening. Alternatively, pre-cast panels may be transported to site and placed over the mine opening.


    3.9.2.8 Fuel and Hazardous Materials Storage Facilities

     Fuel, chemical or other hazardous material storage facilities will be removed as part of the facilities removal procedure. Fuel and hazardous materials storage facilities will consist of bulk above-ground fuel storage tanks for diesel fuel and waste oil and silos for lime and soda ash storage for the mill process. Other localized storage areas will contain vehicle motor oils and lubricants, boiler conditioning chemicals, glycol, and other process reagents. Fuel and hazardous chemical storage facilities will be removed and decommissioned at the time of mine closure.

    Decommissioning

    All chemicals remaining in the storage facility will be removed and transported off-site for disposal. Any connecting pipelines will be drained, cleaned and removed or capped as required. The physical storage structures (tanks, bins, silos), and all associated containment facilities and dyking will be dismantled and removed or demolished. Any areas of surficial staining or subsurface contamination which exceeds applicable remediation criteria will be remediated through excavation and removal of the soil for off-site disposal or other acceptable means.

    Reclamation

    Disturbed areas will be graded and contoured to reduce erosion and sedimentation from surface runoff. The areas will be stabilized, as conditions require, through topdressing, with coarse non-mineralized mine rock or suitable substrate to permit vegetation. If revegetation is required, appropriate surface preparation through the application of organic material, till and/or fertilization or soil amendments will be carried out to establish and promote vegetation through seeding, planting or natural succession.


    3.9.2.9 Permanent Wharf

    The permanent wharf facilities located at Edward's Cove will include those components necessary to on-load concentrate and off-load supplies and fuel.

    Decommissioning

    Should there be a local need for the permanent wharf beyond the life of the mine/mill operations, the wharf facilities will be left in place. However, should a need not be identified, the wharf facilities will be removed.

    Reclamation

    The surface area at the wharf site will be recontoured. If revegetation is required, appropriate surface preparation will be conducted and vegetation promoted through seeding, planting, or natural succession.


    3.9.2.10 Construction Borrow Pits and Quarries

     Borrow pits and quarries will be developed at various locations in the Project area during the construction phase to obtain till and aggregate materials for roads, dam embankments, buildings and other construction and development purposes. Each of the borrow pits and quarries will be designed to reduce the area of disturbance and promote reclamation after they are no longer required.

    Decommissioning

    Once the borrow pits and quarries are no longer required, all mobile and stationary equipment will be removed from the site.

    Reclamation

    Any organic material, overburden or mine rock removed during development of the borrow pits and quarries will be stockpiled near the pit or quarry area for future use during reclamation of the borrow pit or quarry. Overburden or non-mineralized mine rock that is not suitable for reclamation purposes will be stockpiled in stable configurations, contoured to match the surrounding landscape for permanent disposal or temporarily stockpiled and returned to the borrow pit or quarry opening once extraction from the pit or quarry is complete.

    As site conditions dictate, vegetation or other cover materials may be established on slopes to control erosion and dust. Quarries and pits reclaimed during operations will be used as test cases to evaluate suitable revegetation techniques.


    3.9.2.11 Explosives Storage

     An explosives storage facility will be constructed at site. The facility will operate until mining activity ceases or an alternative source of explosives is obtained.

    Decommissioning

    At the time of site decommissioning, the explosives storage facility will be disassembled and/or demolished. All equipment will be removed and the diesel and ammonium nitrate tanks emptied, cleaned and removed or demolished. Salvageable equipment and building materials will be transported off-site for reuse or sale. Other inert construction debris or materials will be disposed of on site in the mine rock disposal facility or other suitable landfill area.

    Reclamation

    Reclamation methods for the explosives storage facility will be the same as for other plant site or construction areas where surficial disturbance has occurred.


    3.9.2.12 Miscellaneous Project Components

     A number of miscellaneous site features and components will also require decommissioning and reclamation following mine closure. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:


    Decommissioning

    All equipment and associated electrical and mechanical control components will be disassembled and removed. Material that can be salvaged will be removed from site. Scrap will be disposed of either onsite or off-site. Water wells will be filled with clean sand and capped.

    Reclamation

    Areas of surficial disturbance will be graded and contoured to control surface runoff and erosion. The surface area will then be stabilized as required by revegetation or an alternative cover, or left to revegetate naturally through succession of native vegetation.


    3.9.2.13 Labour Force

     Approximately 30 to 40 employees and/or contractors will remain on site during the period required for site decommissioning and reclamation.

    Equipment requirements during the site decommissioning and reclamation activities will consist primarily of earth moving and haulage equipment, graders, cranes, flatbed and other transport type haul trucks, pick-up trucks, and other personnel and service vehicles. Where possible, existing site equipment will be used.


    3.9.2.14 Goods and Services

     The main goods and services which will be required during site decommissioning and reclamation will include revegetation supplies consisting primarily of seeds and transplants, fertilizer, and soil amendments. Erosion blankets, geotextiles and other erosion control and protection materials may also be transported to site for use during decommissioning and closure reclamation.

    Contractor services may also be retained for building demolition, removal of scrap and salvageable materials and equipment, reseeding, and removal and off-site disposal of waste oil, unused chemicals, and storage tank sludge.


    3.9.2.15 Schedule

     Other than progressive reclamation activities which will be conducted during the operating period of the mine, decommissioning and final site reclamation will begin when mine and mill operations cease. Decommissioning and final reclamation activities are estimated to take up to 24 months to complete. As progressive reclamation proceeds during the life of the Project, the reclamation activities at mine closure will deal with Project components which required usage through to the end of the Project.


    3.9.3 Temporary Shutdown

     As a result of economic or operational circumstances, it is possible that mining and/or milling activity may cease and the operation will shut down on a temporary basis. A temporary shutdown of this nature is normally planned and assumes that the mining and/or milling operation will recommence.

    The mine plan will permit many of the Project's components to be progressively reclaimed or stabilized against erosion early in the operating period of the mine. These components include the overburden borrow pits and aggregate quarries used during mine site construction, earthen dams, dykes, and embankments constructed for the tailings containment, and portions of the overburden and non-mineralized mine rock disposal pile embankments. Surface drainage collection and diversion channels, located around and within the vicinity of other disturbed surface areas, will continue to operate and effectively control sedimentation associated with surface water resources during a temporary shutdown period.

    Other steps which will be taken during a temporary shutdown period to reduce environmental effects may include the following:


    All non-essential pipelines, which could be damaged by freezing, will be drained if the shutdown extends into the winter months.


    3.10 Human Resources

     The VBNC Human Resources Plan will ensure that human resource needs and the needs of all VBNC personnel are addressed throughout the life of the Project. The plan will consist of the following elements:


    VBNC's Human Resource policies and procedures will be based on the following principles:



    3.10.1 Human Resources Legislation

     The Labour Standards Act (Newfoundland) legislates employment standards in Newfoundland and Labrador. Other applicable provincial worker-related law includes the Labour Relations Act, the Human Rights Code, the Industrial Standards Act, the Apprenticeship Act, the Mining Safety Act, the Newfoundland & Labrador Mine Safety of Workers Regulations, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the Workers' Compensation Act. VBNC is also aware of its legal obligations under existing federal legislation.


    3.10.2 Human Resources Policy

     VBNC is committed to providing an employment climate that will attract, develop, and retain qualified personnel. Maintaining effective, committed employees is vital to the achievement of VBNC goals. VBNC will maintain a work environment which will provide individuals with the opportunity to achieve their personal career goals while accomplishing VBNC's objectives.

    VBNC will provide pay and benefits which are competitive in the mining industry and the region where VBNC operates. VBNC will provide opportunities for individual growth and career satisfaction, and assist employees to realize their potential by providing appropriate training, development, education, and opportunities for promotion.

    Hiring and training will be undertaken with consideration for Aboriginal people, residents in adjacent communities and gender equity. Employees with a diversity of backgrounds will be provided with equal opportunities for career advancement and management positions.

    VBNC will observe all laws respecting discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, ancestry, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, record of offences, marital status, family status, or age. It is VBNC's policy to provide equal employment and advancement opportunity to qualified individuals on a non-discriminatory basis. It is also VBNC's policy that all employees be able to enjoy a work environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment.

    VBNC will provide suitable work facilities and conditions with the objective of safeguarding the health, safety and general well-being of employees. VBNC will require all employees and contractors to maintain safe and effective work practices, including observing all legislated health and safety requirements.


    3.10.2.1 Hiring Practices and Procurement

     VBNC recognizes the important role that the Project will have in the economic development of Newfoundland and Labrador. VBNC is based in the province and is committed to enhancing the economic and industrial benefits which will accrue to the province from direct and indirect expenditures made through the purchase of goods and services on a competitive basis.

    VBNC will follow the principles described in Appendix 3C, Voisey's Bay Nickel Company's Basic Principles for Employment and Procurement.


    3.10.2.2 Skills and Entry Requirements

     VBNC is involved in ongoing discussions with communities regarding the prerequisite skills and entry requirements for employment at the Project site. VBNC will work with governments, women's groups, Aboriginal communities, and other groups to assist individuals in making decisions about career opportunities with VBNC.

    Entry requirements will be determined by the set of skills or competencies appropriate for specific job categories. Generally speaking, an entry requirement will be academic high school graduation or equivalent. Some job categories will require post secondary training and education. VBNC will provide extensive functional training for employees specific to their job.

    VBNC is committed to providing assistance in overcoming obstacles to employment. Some issues such as childcare may be better addressed by communities with the help of economic benefits (such as increased municipal taxes) generated from the Project. VBNC has met with federal, provincial, and Labrador women's organizations to discuss opportunities and working conditions for women in the mining industry.


    3.10.2.3 Pre-Orientation

     Pre-orientation sessions will be held regarding the work setting and conditions at the Project site. Additional information on related subjects such as work reporting relationships, coping with family adjustments to rotational work schedules, and ways to incorporate traditional ways of life into camp life will be incorporated in the VBNC employee assistance program.


    3.10.2.4 Harassment

     VBNC is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect. Harassment in the workplace is against the law and contrary to VBNC's policy. VBNC is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment. In order to ensure this, VBNC has an established policy on harassment in the workplace, which will be strictly enforced. A copy of VBNC's current harassment policy is located in Appendix 3D.

    Harassment of all types, including sexual and racial, will be strictly prohibited. This refers to behaviour which is not welcome, which is personally offensive, which harms morale, and which interferes with work effectiveness. In addition, no one is to imply or threaten that an applicant or employee's cooperation of a sexual nature (or refusal thereof) will have any effect on the individual's employment assignment, salary, advancement, career development, or any other condition of employment.

    All employees will receive training in gender and cultural sensitivity and how to avoid and address harassment. Employees or applicants who feel they may have been discriminated against or harassed will be encouraged to bring their concerns to the attention of VBNC's management or to individuals specifically appointed to deal with perceived violations.


    3.10.2.5 Alcohol and Drugs

     VBNC has established an Alcohol and Drug-Free Policy. Alcohol and non-prescription drugs are strictly prohibited substances under a zero tolerance policy. This will be enforced by security personnel at the site. An employee in violation of this policy will be required to leave the site immediately. Luggage and personal belongings will be examined for the presence of these substances.


    3.10.2.6 Firearms

     Possession of firearms by employees will be prohibited at all times while on site. The only exception to this policy will be the individuals who will be authorized to carry firearms for bear management.


    3.10.2.7 Smoking Policy

     Smoking regulations will be implemented to accommodate both the smoking and non-smoking personnel. It is important that both groups respect these regulations. Smoking at the Project's facilities and locations will be limited to designated areas. Smoking will not be permitted in workplaces where flammable materials are present. Programs will be sponsored to encourage employees not to smoke at work or at home.


    3.10.2.8 Medical Program

     It is a key VBNC objective to assist employees to achieve and maintain their optimal level of health and well-being. One of the means for achieving this objective is the implementation of pro-active medical programs.

    The scope of the medical program includes:


    "Many people from Nain would like to work…..many are too old and reluctant to apply….may have their names in but are not getting jobs. Older people don't have education and can't fill out applications, but we can learn through on the job-training". (Seeing the Land is Seeing Ourselves; Labrador Inuit Association Issue Scoping Report, 4 September 1996, p. 28).

    All employees will receive pre-employment medical examinations to determine whether they are medically capable to fulfill the requirements of the jobs for which they are hired. The results will provide a baseline of the employees' health at the time of employment.

    Occupational exposure medical examinations will identify the physical condition of prospective workers and determine whether workers are assigned jobs that do not affect their current health. The examinations, which are specifically focused on the type of exposure, will be repeated at regular intervals for exposed employees.

    In conjunction with and in support of the occupational exposure medical examinations, routine testing of blood and urine will be undertaken to test for toxic response. This testing will be helpful not only in detecting possible cases in need of further investigation and in the prevention of future occurrences, but also in identifying the source of exposure.

    All matters related to an employee's medical condition will be treated on a strictly confidential basis. No medical information will be made available to VBNC. The only information that VBNC will require is that which concerns an employee's fitness to perform work. An employee will either be fit for the job, unfit, or fit with limitations. If there are limitations, the specific restrictions (for example, lifting or bending) will be made clear.


    3.10.3 Training/Education

     VBNC has initiated the development of a Multi-Party Training Plan (the Plan) to address the training and educational needs related to mine operations. The parties to the Plan include: VBNC; the Province of Newfoundland through the Department of Education; the Government of Canada through Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC); LIA; and the Innu Nation. A Steering Committee will coordinate the implementation of the plan.

    The purpose of the Plan is to provide training that will enable Aboriginal people to take advantage of new job opportunities and compete for available vacancies that will be created through mining developments in northern Labrador. The goal of this training program is to enhance the participation of Aboriginal people in these jobs.

    VBNC, the Department of Education, HRDC, LIA and the Innu Nation are parties to a Multi-Party Training Plan. The goal of this training program is to enhance the participation of Aboriginal people in employment created through mining developments in northern Labrador

    Initial planning commenced in 1997. The Steering Committee will annually review the interest of the parties in the Plan in extending the planning horizon beyond the initial six year period.

    The Plan will focus on helping Aboriginal people gain access to jobs that will be created through mining developments in Labrador, with particular emphasis on apprenticeship, technical, and professional occupations. This objective will be achieved through prior learning assessment, pre-employment preparation, skill development training, on-the-job training, and re-training to improve access to employment opportunities and to facilitate employment advancement.

    VBNC has made the following commitments with respect to its participation in the Plan:


    The Steering Committee is working to harmonize and influence the current education and training programs in Labrador for Innu Nation and LIA, and establish a plan for the future which has as its objective the preparation of Innu and Inuit with the prerequisite skills to access direct and indirect employment related to the Project. A pilot project will be undertaken to implement the first step of this plan with interested individuals in each of the north coast communities of Labrador.

    VBNC has established a Human Resources Working Committee (the Committee) with both the Innu Nation and LIA. This committees has been active in:


    Key issues that the Committee will address on an ongoing basis are:



    3.10.3.1 Cross-Cultural and Gender Sensitivity Training

     Cross-cultural and gender sensitivity training will be provided to all employees and contractors working at the Project site. This training will encourage workers to respect and be sensitive to cultural and gender differences among the workforce and in coastal Labrador communities.


    3.10.3.2 Black Bear Awareness Training

     "The black bears, they had the time of their lives when the caplin came ashore (Voisey's Bay) in the spring. There always was a lot of bears in that bag". (Edward Voisey interview: From Sina to Sikujaluk: OUR Footprint; Mapping Inuit Environmental Knowledge in the Nain District of Northern Labrador, p.16)

    All VBNC employees, contractors and site visitors will receive black bear awareness training. Workers and visitors will be informed about bear habitat and behaviour in the Project area, as well as appropriate avoidance and management techniques. Prevention of encounters with bears will be encouraged. Proper food and waste management practices will be strictly enforced since food attracts bears. Harassment of bears or any other wildlife in the Project area will be prohibited.


    3.10.3.3 Student Training

     VBNC will endeavour to provide opportunities for student training once mine/mill operations are initiated. The placement of students in cooperative learning programs within mining and mill operations will enhance education programs and contribute toward training of future mining and mill personnel.


    3.10.4 Labour Relations

     VBNC will make every effort to establish and maintain good relations with employees through sound and fair employment and management practices.


    3.10.4.1 Employee Concerns

     A concerns procedure will be developed to allow employees to raise concerns and have their issues addressed in a systematic fashion. The procedure will encourage employees to raise issues that affect them and guarantee responses to the issues in an environment free of threat. Elements of the procedure can be developed with employees as the mine develops. The establishment of employee committees on specific issues or responsibilities will also assist in addressing employee concerns.


    3.10.4.2 Discipline Procedure

     A discipline procedure will be developed to provide a consistent and established mechanism to handle disciplinary matters. Employees will be made aware of this procedure as part of the orientation training, and employees and supervisors will receive written documentation setting out the procedure. Training programs will be established for those who may be required to deal with discipline issues.


    3.10.5 Employee Benefits

     VBNC will offer employees a complete range of benefits, consistent with the mining industry and with practices now in place with industrial employees in Newfoundland and Labrador.


    3.10.5.1 Health Care Plan

     Pre-employment medical examinations will be required for all new employees. In addition, an annual medical examination procedure will be established to monitor the employee's level of health and fitness. Employees will be advised by a medical practitioner of the need for follow-up health care if the annual screening finds any health problem. VBNC will work with Aboriginal communities and women's organizations so that traditional health care practices within those communities are respected and used and women's health care is included as a part of the health care plan.

    VBNC will offer an extended health care plan that will include such items as hospital room coverage, vision care and dental care with some upper limits.


    3.10.5.2 Work Clothing and Safety Equipment

     All employees will be required to wear the work clothing and safety equipment necessary to carry out their jobs. This will include safety helmets, safety glasses, specialist equipment such as welding vests and goggles, steel toe capped safety boots/shoes, and other clothing required for extreme weather conditions. Basic survival training courses will be provided for all employees.


    3.10.5.3 Employee Assistance Programs

     VBNC will participate in an Employee Assistance Program that will provide advice and assistance for employees on a range of issues, including drug and/or alcohol dependency and work-related stress management. All programs will respect the individual's confidentiality.


    3.10.5.4 Vacation Leave

     Vacation leave will be in accordance with provincial legislation. Employees will be required to take regular annual vacation leave.


    3.10.5.5 Salary

     Employees will be paid a competitive salary. Whenever possible and requested, pay cheques will be deposited directly into employee bank accounts, or other suitable arrangements will be made.

    3.11 Occupational Health and Safety

     VBNC, in providing a safe workplace, will provide its employees with proper training and management direction necessary to protect their health and safety. Proactive, rather than reactive, health and safety plans will be established to reduce any foreseeable hazards which could result in personal injuries or illnesses, fires, property damage, and security losses.

    All employees will be responsible for accident prevention within VBNC's facilities. The following safety principles are VBNC's commitment to achieving an injury-free and safe working environment:


    The details surrounding VBNC's Occupational Health and Safety Program are described in Chapter 4, Environmental, Health and Safety Management Systems.


    3.12 Accidental Events

     Accidental events can lead to damage to the biophysical environment as well as effects on human health and safety. The severity of effects from accidental events is dependent upon the magnitude of the event, location of the event, and the time of year.

    Accidental events can be generally categorized as either spills or releases to the environment of such materials as fuel and hazardous materials, concentrate or wastewater, or the failure of engineered designs that may result in material spills or releases to the environment.


    3.12.1 Tailings Pipeline Failure

     The tailings slurry will be conveyed through a pipeline along a 8.5 km route to Headwater Pond during open pit operations. This route follows the north shore of Camp Pond, Otter Pond and Headwater Pond. During underground operations, the pipeline route will be extended north to the North Tailings Basin, over an additional distance of approximately 6 km.

    The pipeline system will be designed to allow containment of a potential spill at any location along the route for the full volume of the pipeline contents (tailings slurry). A pipeline break will result in the controlled spill of tailings slurry into the spill collection ditch that discharges into the emergency pipeline dump pocket/sump, where the slurry will be contained to prevent release to the environment. Tailings in the spill collection ditch and emergency dump pocket will be removed and transported to Headwater Pond or the North Tailings Basin, depending on the location of the spill.


    3.12.2 Spills Within the Mill

     The mill will be the focal point for high volume water flows. Spills from the mill, should they occur, would be collected and directed to the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond where they will be contained.

    A worst case spill from the mill may involve the release of slurry. It is unlikely that this spill would go undetected for more than 15 minutes, during which time the mill would be shut down and the release stopped. A release of this nature would report to the Plant Site Sedimentation Pond, where the solids would be settled.


    3.12.3 Effluent Pipeline Failure - Water Treatment Plant

     A 10-km pipeline will convey the treated water for discharge to Edward's Cove. The flow rates within this pipeline will range from approximately 10 to 15 m3 per minute during normal operation. Although the water will be treated to MMLER standards, it may contain elevated levels of some metals (nickel, copper), compared to existing background levels in the Reid Brook and Little Reid Brook watersheds.

    The most environmentally sensitive segments of this pipeline will be situated at the crossing of Camp Pond Brook and approximately one km north of the mill site, where the pipeline is in close proximity to Reid Brook. A partial break may occur and could result in the release of approximately 20% of the pipeline flow. A release of 20% of the pipeline flow during a one hour spill event would result in the release of about 180 m3 of treated effluent. A partial break could result from frost heave or improper heavy equipment operations.


    3.12.4 Dam Failure/Leaks at the Headwater Pond or North Tailings Basin

     The dams will be designed and constructed to stringent standards in accordance with probable maximum precipitation events.

    The total volume of tailings and mineralized mine rock in Headwater Pond at the end of open pit operations will be approximately 18 million m3. Approximately 59 million m3 of tailings will be disposed at the North Tailings Basin during underground operations. In addition, approximately 8 million m3 of mine rock will be disposed at Headwater Pond during underground operations.

    In the final years of the Project, both facilities will be near capacity and mitigative measures for closure will not yet have been employed (i.e. no diffusion barrier). The two main accidental events considered are:

    1. dam failure, resulting in the release of tailings solids and surface waters covering the tailings that may contain contaminants downstream; and

    2. untreated overflow, as a result of a storm events.


    A total dam failure scenario is considered as a worst case event. It should be recognized that perimeter dam failures are avoidable by proper design, routine inspection, and maintenance. Should a failure occur, mitigative measures often may be employed, reducing the extent of solids migration downstream. Mitigations include additional dam development, stream diversion, and removal of displaced solids and subsequent reconfinement.

    Storm events will vary widely in duration and intensity. It is therefore difficult to predict the extent of water quality effects resulting from the release of a worst case storm event. Each facility is designed such that discharge is possible at one perimeter dam location only. This location is selected based on environmental criteria and accessibility for maintenance and inspection purposes.


    3.12.5 Headwater Pond

     This water may contain elevated levels of metals, sulphates, and ammonia. The severity of the consequences would depend on the volume released and the time of year.

    Dam H2 is situated at the west end of Headwater Pond. Approximately 11 million m3 of tailings and mine rock will be deposited adjacent to Dam H2 at the final stage condition. Failure of this structure will result in the release of tailings and mine rock into Otter Pond. The potential water quality effects would extend to Camp Pond. Under a storm event condition, a spillway will discharge water from Headwater Pond east towards Throat Bay. Potential water quality effects are likely to extend to Pond 64, which is located east of Headwater Pond.

    Dam H1 at the east end of the basin will retain about 4 m of tailings and mine rock. The failure of this structure will result in the limited release of tailings and mine rock into the small stream east of Dam H1.


    3.12.6 North Tailings Basin

    The failure of any of the three perimeter structures (Dams N2, N3 and N6) would result in the release of tailings solids and untreated waters into the adjacent watersheds. This water will contain elevated levels of metals, sulphates, and a reduced pH. The severity of the consequences would depend on the volume and the time of year.

    Dam N2 will retain a maximum height (thickness) of about 15 m of tailings solids at the final stage. The failure of this structure would result in the release of tailings solids downstream for a distance of approximately 1000 m. Potentially, water quality effects would extend 1000 m downstream.

    Untreated spillway discharge may occur at the Dam N2 location. In the unlikely event that this occurs, surface waters downstream of Dam N2, would be affected.

    Dam N3 will retain a maximum height (thickness) of about 15 m of tailings solids at the final stage. The failure of this structure would result in the release of tailings solids into the two small ponds to the east.

    Dam N6 will retain approximately 5 m of tailings solids at the final stage. The failure of this structure would result in the release of tailings solids into the Site 5 watershed. Water quality effects are likely to be restricted to this area due to the dilution capacity of this watershed.


    3.12.7 Oil Spill at Fuel Storage Facilities

     Oil spills that may result from a vessel accident, as well as those that may occur at the fuel storage facilities or during the delivery of oil to the facilities at the port site, plant site, and airstrip are also addressed in this section.

    The oil storage tanks could fail as a result of spontaneous rupture or explosions. Spills could also result from human error during delivery of fuel to the oil storage tanks (e.g., overfilling, leaving valves open). Fuel storage tanks and facilities will be designed to conform with the Newfoundland Department of Environment and Labour regulations. Key design features include the installation of impervious mats, containment dykes, and the installation of sump and collection systems. In the case of a tank rupture or leak, emergency response and clean-up procedures will be implemented. The likelihood of any oil escaping to the environment as a result of a tank failure is very low.

    However, spills may escape to the environment as a result of human error or faulty equipment during delivery. Such spills would probably be very small (less than 70 litres), and the emergency response procedure would be implemented. The locations that would be potentially affected would be the port site (Edward's Cove, surrounding terrain, streams), the plant site (terrain at plant site) and the airstrip (surrounding terrain, streams). The emergency response and clean-up procedures would be initiated in the case of a fuel spill.


    3.12.8 Shipping Vessel Accident

     Concentrate and supplies will be transported by ships. In the unlikely event that a ship is damaged, fuel oil or concentrate may be released into the marine environment.


    3.12.8.1 Oil Spill in Open Water

     In the unlikely event that the ship is damaged in open water, fuel oil may be released. Ships will be hauling diesel fuel for the Project in the summer months. The credible worst-case spill event during the summer would involve the simultaneous puncture of two of the ship's own fuel tanks (IFO 180 fuel mixture), resulting in the release of 200 tonnes of fuel, and the simultaneous puncture of a wing tank containing the Project fuel, resulting in the release of 200 tonnes of diesel fuel.

    Potential spills resulting from an accidental event were numerically modelled at two locations, based on environmental sensitivity and human use (Seaborne 1997). Dispersion of oil was modelled along the Shipping Route east of Paul Island (near seabird colonies), and at the port site at Edward's Cove.

    The results (probability plots) of the oil spill trajectory model are indicated on Figure 3.34 for the location east of Paul Island. This figure represents the probability that oil would be dispersed over a given area over a five day period. Paul Island itself causes a general east-west orientation of the plume. The time-to-shore of the oil would range from one hour to 82 hours with a mean of 15 hours.

    The results (probability plots) of the oil spill trajectory model are indicated in Figures 3.35 and 3.36 for the port site at Edward's Cove. These figures represent the probability that oil would be dispersed over a given area over a five day period. The spill would be essentially contained within Anaktalak Bay. A spill initiated on a full flood tide would extend further west as compared to one started on a full ebb tide, when it would extend further north and east. The time-to-shore of the oil would range from immediately to 50 hours, with a mean of six hours.

    Figure 3.34 Oil Spill Distribution - Open Water - Paul Island

    Assuming an instantaneous spill of 400 metric tonnes, and assuming that the oil slick did not evaporate, weather or undergo vertical displacement, the maximum extent for a 10 m m thick spill would be 4.2 km2 (more probable case), and 41.62 km2 for a 100 m m thick spill at both spill locations.


    3.12.8.2 Oil Spill On or Under Landfast Ice

     In the unlikely event that a ship is damaged in landfast ice, fuel oil may be released. The credible worst-case spill event during the ice season would involve the simultaneous puncture of two of the ship's own fuel tanks, resulting in the release of 200 tonnes of fuel.

    The dispersion of an accidental spill at two locations was estimated, using professional judgement based on previous experience, empirical relationships developed for lower viscosity oils, and available environmental data from the area. The locations for modelling the spill were chosen based on environmental sensitivity and human use as previously discussed.

    Figure 3.35 Oil Spill Distribution - Open Water - Edward's Cove (Flood Tide)

    At Edward's Cove, it was estimated that the maximum radial extent of the oil under ice would be approximately 40 m after ten days. It was assumed that the oil would be released into the water beneath the ice. In this case, it would move rapidly into the leads and cracks with 80% of the oil becoming trapped beneath the ice. Oil in the water column was estimated to reach land within 9 hours of release. The under-ice oil would be constrained by the ice into relatively small areas (65 m) after ten days.

    At the location east of Paul Island, it was estimated that the maximum radial extent of the oil would be 50 m after ten days. Again, it was assumed that the oil would be released into the water beneath the ice, with 80% of the oil becoming trapped under the ice. Strong currents at this location would shear off portions of the oil into separate clumps, causing the spill to elongate in the northeast to southwest direction. The roughness of the ice would, however, prevent the oil from being dispersed over large distances. A small volume (less than 1% of the total spill) of near-solid clumps of oil could reach Paul Island and Amushavik Islet by Day 5, and Kugyautak Island and False Start Island by Day 10.


    Figure 3.36 Oil Spill Distribution - Open Water - Edward's Cove (Ebb Tide)

    The results of the spill east of Paul Island are indicated on Figure 3.37. The results of a spill at Edward's Cove are indicated on Figure 3.38.


    3.12.8.3 Oil Spill in Pack Ice

     In the unlikely event that a ship is damaged in pack ice, fuel oil may be released. The dispersion of an accidental spill of 200 tonnes of fuel in pack ice near Whale Island was estimated, using professional judgement based on previous experience, and available environmental data from the area (Dickins, 1997). The following hypothetical scenario describes one possible sequence of spreading and distribution of the oil in pack ice using actual ice conditions mapped in March 1997 and ice drift rates measured by several researchers.

    Figure 3.37 Oil Spill - Under Ice Conditions - Paul Island

    Figure 3.38 Oil Spill - Under Ice Conditions - Edward's Cove

    Initially (1 hour), the spill would likely be confined to a localized area less than about 0.03 km2. As different portions of the ice cover move at variable rates, the initial oiled area would break into several discrete patches, each containing between 50 to 70 tonnes of oil. From the Kurdistan experience each patch could be expected to occupy approximately 1 km2 of ice (560 m radius) (C-CORE 1980). These patches would be carried with the ice in an east-southeast direction and would gradually become separated by several kilometres. By day 10, these patches could have travelled as far south as 54 degrees North. In this example, it is highly unlikely that the oil would reach land given the high concentration of pack ice along the coast. There would be no visible signs of oil at the original spill site, as the ice containing the oil would have been carried away. In about another eight to ten days, the oil patches moving south with the pack ice would be exposed to open water (less than 3/10 ice) north of Belle Isle where any remaining oil would be quickly dispersed at depth in the open sea. After this time, it is very unlikely that any discrete slicks of oil would still be visible.


    3.12.8.4 Spill of Concentrate

     In the unlikely event that a ship is damaged, nickel-cobalt or copper concentrate may be released. For the purpose of the modelling exercise, it was assumed that 25,000 tonnes of concentrate would be released. Simulation modelling was conducted to determine the extent of a spill at Edward's Cove, and at the eastern end of Paul Island (Hatch Associates, 1997).

    The concentrates would tend to sink to the seabed due to their density. The weak currents in Edward's Cove and in Anaktalak Bay would disperse the material extremely slowly from the spill site. The majority of the material would sink in place and remain. The distribution of the concentrate after seven days is illustrated in Figure 3.39. It was estimated that only 1% of the concentrate would have dispersed beyond the immediate area of the cove after eight weeks.

    The concentrate would be dispersed more rapidly east of Paul Island as a result of the stronger currents (i.e., assuming a bottom current of 0.25 m/s). The coarsest material would sink and remain within 30 km of the initial spill location. The distribution of the concentrate after seven days is illustrated in Figure 3.40. The finest material (approximately 65% of the total spill) would be dispersed beyond 30 km after eight weeks.


    3.12.9 Fire

     Forest fires could be caused by lightning, aircraft accident, human error, or electrical/equipment malfunction. The extent and duration of a fire depends on meteorological conditions and the success of the response effort. A fire could affect the wooded Reid Brook valley and surrounding terrain. In addition to destruction of habitat, emissions, particulate matter, and other contaminants may be generated.

    Figure 3.39 Spill of Concentrate - Edward's Cove

    Fire protection systems will be provided by storage tanks and hydrant systems at the plant site. The emergency response procedure will be implemented immediately upon the detection of a fire. Fire fighting equipment and an emergency response vehicle equipped with fire fighting equipment will be deployed immediately. The appropriate Forest Management Unit office and RCMP office will also be notified immediately.

    Vehicle Accident

    Vehicular accidents at site roads could result in spill of concentrate, loss of mineralized mine rock, spill of fuel, or spill of hazardous materials. The severity of the consequences would depend on the location (e.g. spill into a watercourse) and the time of year (e.g., spawning of fish). Up to 60-80 tonnes of concentrate and 100 tonnes of mine rock could be accidentally spilled from one truck. The volume of any spill of oil or hazardous materials would be dependent on the size of the trucks and containers. Due to the nature of the material, recovery of concentrate and mineralized mine rock would be more successful than recovery of fuel or hazardous materials.

    Figure 3.40 Spill of Concentrate - Paul Island

    In the case of an oil or hazardous material spill, the emergency response and clean-up procedures as outlined in Chapter 4 will be implemented.

    Other accidental scenarios include vehicle/wildlife collisions on site roads. Aircraft will be used to transport personnel and non-hazardous materials. In the case of an aircraft accident, the most severe consequence would be loss of life.


    3.12.10 Hazardous Materials Spill

     Hazardous materials at site will include, but not be limited to, process reagents (xanthate, frother, flocculant), de-icing compound (glycol based), motor oil, lube oil, engine coolant, hydraulic fluid, explosives, paints and solvents, propane, acetylene, cleaners, and cement and concrete additives.

    Process reagents will be stored at the port and the plant site. Glycol will be stored at the plant site and used at the plant site and airstrip. Equipment oil, coolants, and hydraulic fluids will be stored near the plant site and used in mobile equipment and vehicles. Ammonium nitrate will be stored at the explosives storage building and used in the open pit and underground mines. In summary, the procedures and requirements of the WHMIS program and other applicable government regulations will be enforced. The potential for accidental release will be reduced.

    If a spill does occur, the severity of the environmental consequences depends on the location of the spill, the volume of the spill, and the time of year. The volume of a hazardous material is dependent on the size and number of containers.


    3.12.11 Explosions, Falls of Ground, and Open Pit Slope Failure

     These events represent a potential safety hazard to workers. The potential source and type of sensitivity to an accidental release are indicated in Table 3.22.

    Table 3.22 Accidental Events - Potential Sources and Sensitivities
    Accidental Event Sensitivity
    Spills/Accidental Releases
    Spillage of metal sulphide concentrate into the surface water system freshwater fish habitat
    Release of concentrate into marine environment marine fish habitat
    Release of fuel from bulk storage tank wildlife habitat
    freshwater fish habitat
    vegetation
    Release of fuel into Edward's Cove marine fish habitat
    wildlife habitat
    Spillage of fuel wildlife habitat
    vegetation
    freshwater fish habitat
    Spillage of process reagents into freshwater or onto land wildlife habitat
    vegetation
    freshwater fish habitat
    Release of motor oil, engine coolant, diesel fuel or hydraulic oil onto ground surface in pit or on one of the haulage roads wildlife habitat
    vegetation
    freshwater fish habitat
    Spillage of mineralized mine rock wildlife habitat
    vegetation
    freshwater fish habitat
    Spillage of de-icing compound (glycol) freshwater fish habitat
    Engineering/Design
    Major mine rock or overburden disposal facility slope failure human health and safety
    Major pit wall failure into the open pit human health and safety
    Release of mine tailings or sediment into the surface water system freshwater fish habitat
    Spillage of tailings onto land surface and/or surface water system freshwater fish habitat
    wildlife habitat
    vegetation
    Release of reclaim water onto land and/or into surface water system fish habitat
    wildlife habitat
    vegetation
    Release of fuel in Anaktalak Bay
         		 marine fish and habitat
    marine mammals
    seabirds
    Blasting Accident human health and safety
    Fire
         		 human health wildlife and habitat
    vegetation


    3.13 Other Projects

     The "Landscape Region" is defined and described in Chapter 2.

    The Landscape Region may be affected by the operations or activities of other projects in addition to exploration, development, and operation of the Project. VBNC has consulted federal and provincial government departments regarding proposed and ongoing activities in Labrador. The following is a summary of the projects and activities that have been identified. Certain activities may take place consecutively or concurrently to the Project. Some activities may already have affected the Landscape Region, while others may be likely to take place in the future. Collectively, the following represents those projects or activities which may potentially act in combination with the Project. As such, these are being considered in this EIS to the extent that they may contribute to the cumulative environmental effects of the Project.


    3.13.1 VBNC Activities

     Future development on the VBNC's Claim Block will consist of continued exploration work from surface along the north-south belt of troctolite that extends across VBNC Claim Block.

    Although mineral exploration is expected to continue in other areas of northern Labrador, the main focus of VBNC exploration efforts will continue to focus on the VBNC Claim Block. The purpose will be to delineate mineralized zones, to assist with mine planning and ore reserve calculations, as well as to identify new mineral deposits which may provide additional ore reserves.

    Surface exploration will continue beyond open pit operations into the underground operation phase and will be completed prior to closure.

    Surface exploration activities may consist of prospecting, mapping, geophysical surveys, diamond drilling, and surface trenching. All ongoing exploration activities will be conducted in compliance with government legislation.


    3.13.2 Mineral Exploration

     Numerous mineral exploration companies have been staking claims and conducting exploration programs in northern Labrador. Although no other significant reserves have been identified within the Nain Plutonic Suite to date, ongoing mineral exploration may continue to use facilities and services provided in Nain. NDT Ventures Ltd. has been actively exploring in Labrador since the summer of 1995. NDT established an all-weather base camp at Salt Water Pond, 16 km southwest of Nain, which was demobilized in 1997. Various drilling programs have received permits. Diamond drilling has been conducted on Nain Hill, approximately 1 km from Nain, and on a claim block close to Voisey's Bay.


    3.13.3 Labrador West Mining Projects

     The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOCC) currently is the largest mining operation in the Province of Newfoundland. In 1996, IOCC shipped a total of 14.7 million tonnes of iron ore pellets and concentrate and is expected to ship 16.5 million tonnes in 1997. The wet grinding mill system which was initiated in 1996 is scheduled for completion in 1997. In 1997 and 1998, IOCC plan to spend $75 million in capital improvements including the construction of a new flotation plant in Labrador City.

    In 1996, Wabush Mines shipped approximately 5.3 million tonnes of iron ore. The Company is expected to ship an additional 600,000 tonnes in 1997 (The Economy 1997). In an effort to increase the quality of its product, Wabush Mines is conducting a feasibility study on a new manganese extraction plant that will reduce the level of manganese in the ore, therefore resulting in a higher quality product. The concurrent activities of IOCC, Wabush Mines and VBNC will result in an overall gain in regional employment and will provide additional employment opportunities for Labrador residents.


    3.13.4 Other Resource Development Activities

     Donner Resources' South Voisey Bay project area is located approximately 90 km south of the Voisey's Bay discovery. This project consists of 3,712 contiguous claims covering approximately 1,000 square kilometers. To date, Teck Corporation has completed a total of 19 drill holes (3,779 m) and approximately 425 km of gravity and 240 km of electromagnetic surveys. Thin intersections of massive sulphide mineralization containing copper, nickel and cobalt values similar to the Voisey's Bay discovery have been identified within the South Voisey Bay claim area. At least four distinct anomalies have been defined by data received for the northern half of the area covered by the gravity survey. Additional geophysics and diamond drilling is planned for 1998.

    The Labrador Inuit Development corporation ("LIDC") operates an anorthosite quarry at Ten Mile Bay, 8 km from Nain, Labrador. Quarrying operations were initiated in 1990 with minimal equipment. Twenty people are employed at the Ten Mile Bay quarry and another 20 may be employed at John Hays Harbour by 1998. A plant for processing waste materials (pieces of anorthosite which are too small to be sent away for processing) is proposed for Hopedale.

    LIDC is involved with other quarrying activities in the region. Soapstone is being removed from Hopedale and Okak. The LIDC removes gem quality labradorite from Pearly Gates and Tabor Island several times a year.


    3.13.5 Military Low-Level Flying Activity

     National Defence conducts military flying exercises in Labrador from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The former flying zone (in effect between 1984 and 1995) extended into the Voisey's Bay area. The Government of Canada's approval of federal Environmental Assessment Panel recommendations on low-level flying led to the reconfiguration of the training area. As of 1996, the new flying zone extends northwards to a latitude of 55030', approximately 135 km south of Voisey's Bay. Flying activity into the northern most area generally consists of several flights a day. Current activity is expected to increase only incrementally over the next ten years and possibly beyond, but will not exceed 15,000 low-level flights a year, the maximum approved by the Government of Canada.


    3.13.6 Kamistastin Hydro Project

     Kamistastin Hydro Inc. (KHI), a joint venture company of Innu Power Corporation and Genergy, has proposed the construction of a 60 megawatt hydroelectric power development on the Mistastin River in northern Labrador. KHI submitted a provincial registration document in February 1997. The proposed project would include a control structure, canals, a site road, power house, power tunnel, diversion weir, airstrip and transmission lines. Project development would be located 60 km south of Voisey's Bay. A 138 kV transmission line would extend to Voisey's Bay, and two 46 kV transmission lines would extend to Natuashish and Nain. The project proposal has been developed to meet the electrical energy requirements for the new community of Natuashish in 1999.


    3.13.7 Relocation of Utshimassits

     The community of Utshimassits held a referendum October 28, 1996, resulting in a decision to relocate to an area on the mainland known as Natuashish (Little Sango Pond). The Canadian government has committed to support the relocation, which is anticipated to cost $82 million. The relocation will take place over a period of approximately six years. Planning is underway and preliminary grubbing and site preparation were initiated during the summer of 1997. Construction is expected to begin during the summer of 1998.


    3.13.8 Torngat National Park

     The Government of Canada, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and LIA have been conducting a joint feasibility study regarding the establishment of a national park in the Torngat Mountains area of northern Labrador. Steering Committee members have made recommendations to the appropriate decision making authorities to proceed with the park and have suggested park boundaries. The proposed southern boundary is approximately 250 km north of Voisey's Bay. The park proposal is still in the early planning stages.


    3.13.9 Melville Hospital

     Happy Valley-Goose Bay is planning for a new Melville Hospital. The project design began in 1996 and construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 1999. The facility is expected to open in January 2000. The estimated cost of the new hospital is approximately $30 million, up to $15 million of which will be financed by Inco/VBNC. Although there have been no firm estimates as to labour requirements during construction, it is anticipated that, judging by the required workforce for similar construction projects of this magnitude, approximately 250-300 workers will be employed during peak periods of construction (G. Duggan personal communication). The concurrent activities of hospital construction and the Project construction and operation will result in an increased overall gain in regional employment and will provide employment choices for Labrador residents.


    3.13.10 Trans-Labrador Highway

    The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has proposed the upgrading of the existing road between Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The Province plans to spend $60 million upgrading the road to a higher standard, gravel surface highway.

    The work has already begun and will continue in 1998. An estimated 300 to 500 seasonal jobs will be created over two years, depending on the contractor, equipment and construction methods.

    The proposed extension of the highway from Red Bay to Happy Valley-Goose Bay has not yet been registered under the Newfoundland Environmental Assessment Act. However, the provincial Government intends to register the portion between Red Bay and Cartwright and begin construction within a year or two, eventually linking Cartwright to Happy Valley-Goose Bay.


    3.14 References

     C-CORE. 1980. An Oilspill in Pack Ice. Publication 80-2. St. John's, NF.

    Chafe, Dawn. 1997. "The Infrastructure that Hibernia Built". Atlantic Lifestyle Business. Volume Eight, No. 3. pp.43-49.

    Department of Finance, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. 1996. "Newfoundland and Labrador: The Economy - 1996". St. John's, Newfoundland.

    Department of Finance, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. 1997. "Newfoundland and Labrador: The Economy - 1997". St. John's, Newfoundland.

    DF Dickins Associates Ltd. 1997. Oil Spill Scenario in Pack Ice. Prepared for Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Ltd., St. John's, NF.

    The Economy 1997. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

    Duggan, G. 1997. (Personal Communications) Department of Health, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, June 6 1997.

    Hatch 1997. Modelling of Nickel and Copper Concentrate Spills in Edward's Cove or at Paul Island.

    Morrison-Hershfield. 1997. Noise Contours Voisey's Bay Mine/Mill Project, Construction and Operation. Prepared for Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Ltd., St. John's, NF.

    Seaborne Information Technologies Ltd. 1997. Voisey's Bay Open Water and Landfast Ice Oil Spill Scenarios.


    Appendix 3A
    Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)


    Name of MaterialPages
    QuicklimePage 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
    Soda AshPage 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
    Sodium Isopropyl XanthatePage 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
    Page 5 | Page 6
    DowfrothPage 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
    Sodium SulfitePage 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
    Percol 38Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

    Appendix 3B
    Specific Revegetation Procedures for Reclamation

    A successful revegetation program requires an appropriate substrate soil in which vegetation can be established. For long term growth and propagation of the vegetation cover, the substrate must be suitable and provide the necessary minerals and nutrients for the type and species of plants to be used for revegetation purposes.

    The type of substrates which may be available on the Project site are varied. Procedures on how these soils may be collected and stored, the type of any fertilizers and amendments which may be required and how the soil may be used as part of the reclamation plan is described in the following sections. A preliminary list of plant species which may be suitable for revegetation purposes is also provided.

    Substrate Availability

    During the construction and operating phases of the Project, peat and other organic materials, glacial tills and mine rock will be removed and stockpiled. Some of this material, specifically the organic materials and glacial till, will be segregated for future use as substrate for revegetation purposes during Project reclamation and decommissioning.

    A detailed assessment of the available substrate materials within the Project area will be conducted during the early stages of site development, and an inventory compiled. This will permit collection and storage of suitable substrate soils during the construction phase.

    Material Characteristics

    There are two types of materials on the Project site that may be suitable for use as a substrate for revegetation purposes. These include peat and organic rich soils and glacial tills consisting of sand, gravel and boulders with minor quantities of organics.

    Peat and Organic Soils

    Organic rich soils which are found in the Project area consist primarily of peat and other root materials, which are typically found within forested, wetland and marshy areas. Development of the plant area, port facility open pit and the overburden and non-mineralized mine rock storage areas will result in disturbance of peat and organic soils.

    The main use of peat organic soils during reclamation is to


    Characteristics of the peat and organic soil will be assessed and evaluated for use as a substrate material. Results of this assessment will be used to determine the optimum method of storing and using this material.


    Glacial Tills

    Glacial till found on the Project site consists primarily of sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders. These tills generally have a thin organically enriched upper layer, as a result of plant growth. Within the Project area, glacial tills occur within most areas of site development. Although the extent and quantity of organic material within the glacial tills is small, these organics will provide some enrichment for vegetation growth. The organic material will also provide seeds and rootlets for development of indigenous growth.

    An estimated 3.7 million tonnes of overburden will be removed from the area of the open pit during mine operations and will be stored in the north overburden storage facility. This material will be available for use during reclamation. The primary use of this material will be as a cover or topdressing for areas of revegetation.

    An assessment of the glacial till and overburden will be made to identify handling and storage requirements and determine if it is necessary to screen the till to obtain an acceptable substrate material.

    Application

    Substrate material will be reclaimed on an as required basis from the appropriate site stockpile. Once transported to the reclamation site, it will be spread and distributed using bulldozers or graders.

    Application thickness will be determined based on the assessment of the substrate material and the nature of the vegetation to be established.

    Reclamation Vegetation

    The establishment of vegetation as part of the reclamation plan will be based on the following general procedures and steps. The aim of the reclamation plan is to create the necessary conditions for the re-establishment and long term propagation of indigenous native species.


    Two types of vegetation cover may be used during reclamation. These will consist of an initial, pioneering plant cover and a permanent vegetation cover.

    Initial Vegetation Cover

    The establishment of an initial, pioneering species of vegetation is often required for two purposes: initial rapid stabilization of disturbed areas for dust or erosion and sedimentation control and providing nutrients and organics into the substrata for future permanent vegetation. In many cases, both purposes are often fulfilled by the initial vegetation cover. The initial vegetation cover is typically not selected for long term growth and propagation, but it is designed to provide initial cover and promote later succession of local indigenous species.

    The type of pioneering species planted will vary with the type and fertility of available substrate soil, the site conditions, and the type and species of the successional plants. The pioneering species must permit invasion by local species and not dominate local vegetation.

    As reclamation and revegetation activities are conducted, and the nature of the substrata better defined, seed mixes will be modified and altered as required. Additional plant species may also be introduced into the mixes.

    Permanent Vegetation Cover

    The ultimate objective of the revegetation plan will be to encourage the re-establishment of native, indigenous plant species. The re-establishment of native, local plant species will ensure long term, maintenance-free propagation of vegetation, and the return of native wildlife. Pioneering species, where established, will provide the initial soil stabilization and assist in the development of soil organics and nutrients to encourage the growth of native local plant species within a reasonable time period.

    Although it is not proposed to conduct widespread planting of native plant species, selected areas of planting may be required and conducted. These areas could include slopes of mine rock and overburden piles where early establishment is required and on large areas of disturbed land where native plant species are remote or absent and otherwise would take a long time to become established.

    Vegetation Establishment Procedures

    On disturbed areas of the site where seeding or the establishment of initial or permanent vegetation is required, a number of methods can be used. The various methods which may be considered for seeding and their general advantages and disadvantages are outlined in     Table 3A.1.

    Table 3A.1 Seeding Methods
    Seeding Method Advantages Disadvantages
    Broadcast Seeding
    • useful for large areas
    • can be helicopter applied
    • relatively inexpensive
    • can be hand applied in small or in-accessible areas.
    • seed is not set into soil
    • may not be accurate if aircraft applied
    Hydroseeding
    • can be used on steep slopes
    • can be applied with tackifiers, and binders
    • can be helicopter applied
    • seed is not set into soil
    • expensive
    • relatively slow for large areas
    Drill Seeding
    • seed placed in soil
    • good seedbed prepared
    • can use lower seeding rate
    • restricted in rough uneven areas
    • needs specialized equipment

    Fertilizers and Soil Amendments

    Fertilizers and various soil amendments may be required for the effective establishment of the initial vegetation cover or promote establishment of native indigenous species. The mixes and nature of any required fertilizers and soil amendments will be based on the physical and nutrient characteristics of the substrata and are still to be confirmed. However, they could consist of fertilizers and lime.

    Native Species Transplants

    One option for revegetation involves transplanting native species in areas where vegetation is to be established. Transplanting native species avoids the requirement in most applications to establish an initial vegetation cover, and increases the speed with which native plants become established on the areas to be revegetated.

    Native species transplants could involve the excavation and transplanting of vegetation or topdressing areas to be revegetated with organic rich soil containing small plants, seeds and rootlets. Evaluation and assessment of this revegetation option will be required during the initial years of the Project to determine its practicality, effectiveness and cost.

    One variation to transplanting native species is the establishment of pockets or islands of vegetation within disturbed surficial areas. This revegetation method consists of placing small areas of soil, with or without vegetation, in selected areas of disturbed features. These islands of soil will serve to encourage expansion and succession of initial or permanent vegetation over the remaining portion of the disturbed area. If soil with native plant species were used to create these vegetation pockets, invasion by native species over the disturbed area may be accelerated.

    Reclamation Research

    Research associated with specific reclamation requirements relevant to the Project will form a critical component of the reclamation plan. These research activities will consist of a review of relevant information on reclamation methods and procedures for mine site disturbances and activities, including mine site rehabilitation in sub-arctic environments and practical on-site field studies.

    The reclamation research program will be directed at a number of specific areas as listed below. As the Project is developed, additional research requirements may become evident. A review of selected databases to identify additional information on reclamation activities in sub arctic conditions will be conducted. Vegetation test plots will be established in the Project area. The purpose of the test plots will be to assess and evaluate:


    Additional reclamation research which may be conducted as part of active progressive reclamation activities on the Project area are described in the following sections.

    Vegetation Establishment Procedures

    As outlined in Table 3A.1, a number of methods are available to establish seeds for revegetation. As disturbed areas become available for progressive reclamation, various seeding methods may be tested to determine the most appropriate and effective system. Various methods may also be investigated to obtain and transplant native species.

    Metals Absorption and Uptake

    Vegetation established over former sedimentation ponds may uptake and absorb metals from the underlying sediments. Laboratory or field experiments based on sampling and analyzing plant tissue from vegetation grown on sediments may be conducted to determine metal content within the plant compared to levels within the sediment. This information may be useful in predicting the potential metal intake by wildlife that eat these plants.

    Reclamation Schedule

    By coordinating progressive reclamation activities with mine operations, both cost and operating efficiencies can often be achieved. One example would be to co-ordinate the final blast pattern for the perimeter pit walls to achieve stable slopes. This would eliminate the potential requirement to return at the time of mine closure to stabilize the pit walls. Ongoing scheduling of reclamation activities can also result in the mitigation and control of effects early in the life of the mine operations. This returns the disturbed land to a productive state as soon as possible and permits ongoing observation and monitoring during the remaining life of the Project. This information will assist with subsequent reclamation planning and activities.

    The Project schedule will permit three stages of reclamation activity:


    Pre-operation Reclamation

    Reclamation of disturbed areas associated with the initial exploration activity and construction phase that will not be incorporated into the mine operations present an opportunity to field test, develop and improve the planned reclamation program. These reclamation activities offer the potential opportunity to gather information while conducting useful work. Possible site areas which could be reclaimed include cut slopes behind concentrate storage building, temporary dock and abandonment of Voisey's Bay Camp.

    Operational and Progressive Reclamation

    Operational or progressive reclamation will begin at the inception of construction and be conducted during the operating phase of the Project.

    The first operational reclamation component will be to identify and characterize potential topdressing material which may be suitable for vegetation substrata. The second component will be to remove and stockpile this material in a fashion suitable for subsequent reclaim. This material must be removed prior to site development activity. If required for future reclamation activities, suitable topdressing material should be removed from areas which will be used for permanent disposal of mine rock and overburden. Removal of topdressing material should, however be limited to areas planned for immediate development to avoid exposing the underlying soils and tills to erosion.

    Progressive reclamation will be conducted, as operations permit, over the life of the Project. Examples of progressive reclamation may include stabilization of completed slopes of the overburden and mine rock disposal facility, vegetation of dam and embankment slopes and reclamation of the borrow pits and quarries developed for construction materials.

    As indicated previously, progressive reclamation activities will be scheduled with, or as part of, the Project operations as often as possible. Along with returning disturbed surface areas to a productive state as soon as possible, this will also serve to enhance effectiveness and efficiency and reduce costs.


    Appendix 3C
    Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Basic Principles for Employment and Procurement

    Part 1
    Part 2

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