TABLE OF CONTENTS
3. Project Description
3.1 Rationale and Purpose
3.2 Need for The Project
3.2.1 The Provincial Economy
3.2.2 Economic Viability of the Project
3.2.3 Economic Potential of the Project
3.3 Alternatives to the Project
3.3.1 Alternative Development of Other Nickel Deposits
3.3.2 "No Project" Alternative
3.4 Mineral Resources
3.4.1 Regional Geology
3.4.2 Orebody Geology and Potential Resources
3.5 Planning for Mine Development
3.5.1 Approach to Project Planning
3.5.1.1 Shipping Season
3.5.1.2 Port Location
3.5.1.3 Disposal of Tailings and Mineralized Mine Rock
3.5.1.4 Electric Power Supply
3.5.1.5 Accommodations
3.5.1.6 Airstrip Location
3.5.2 Best Operating Practice In Sub-Arctic Conditions
3.5.2.1 Mining
3.5.2.2 Milling
3.5.2.3 Water Management/Tailings/Mineralized Mine Rock
3.5.2.4 Construction Methods
3.5.2.5 Effects of the Environment on the Project
3.6 Construction
3.6.1 Site Preparation and Support During Construction
3.6.1.1 Accommodations During Construction
3.6.1.2 Water and Sewage Systems
3.6.1.3 Waste Management During Construction
3.6.1.4 Power Supply During Construction
3.6.1.5 Fuel Requirements and Storage During Construction
3.6.1.6 Construction Earth Works
3.6.1.7 Blasting Activities During Construction
3.6.2 Pre-Stripping
3.6.3 Storm Water Management
3.6.4 Tailings and Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal
3.6.4.1 Tailings During Open Pit Operations and Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal
3.6.4.2 Tailings Disposal During Underground Mining
3.6.4.3 Construction of Dams and Embankments
3.6.4.4 Surface Water Diversion Requirements
3.6.5 Roads, Pipelines and Distribution Lines
3.6.5.1 Roads
3.6.5.2 Pipelines and Power Lines
3.6.5.3 Construction Methods
3.6.6 Buildings and Structures
3.6.6.1 Plant Site
3.6.6.2 Port Site
3.6.7 Airstrip
3.6.8 Pits and Quarries
3.6.9 Marshalling/Equipment Storage Areas
3.6.10 Labour Force
3.6.11 Equipment, Construction Materials, and Services
3.6.12 Transportation of Workers and Materials
3.6.13 Transport and Handling of Hazardous Materials
3.6.14 Project-Environment Interactions
3.6.14.1 Interactions With Land
3.6.14.2 Interactions with the Atmospheric Environment
3.6.14.3 Interactions With the Aquatic Environment
3.7 Underground Exploration Program
3.8 Project Operation
3.8.1 Open Pit and Underground Mining
3.8.1.1 Open Pit Design and Mining Plan
3.8.1.2 Underground Mining
3.8.1.3 Explosives Storage and Handling
3.8.2 Mill
3.8.2.1 Mill Process
3.8.2.2 Process Reagents
3.8.2.3 Concentrate Storage
3.8.3 Tailings and Mine Rock Management
3.8.3.1 Tailings and Mineralized Mine Rock Characteristics
3.8.3.2 Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) Potential - Mine Rock/Overburden
3.8.3.3 Non-Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal
3.8.3.4 Co-Disposal of Tailings/Mineralized Mine Rock at Headwater Pond
3.8.3.5 Water Treatment and Discharge at the Mill Site During Open Pit Operations
3.8.3.6 Tailings Disposal During Underground Operations
3.8.3.7 Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal During Underground Operations
3.8.3.8 Water Treatment and Discharge at North Tailings Basin During Underground Operations
3.8.3.9 Water Treatment and Discharge at the Mill Site During Underground Operations
3.8.3.10 Water Management at Tailings Disposal Facilities After Site Closure
3.8.4 Water Management
3.8.4.1 Water Requirements
3.8.4.2 Wastewater/Storm Water
3.8.4.3 Water Balance and Water Diversions
3.8.5 Transportation
3.8.5.1 Marine Transportation System Overview
3.8.5.2 Government Marine Related Acts and Regulations
3.8.5.3 Shipping Vessels
3.8.5.4 Shipping Routes
3.8.5.5 Air Transport
3.8.5.6 Ground Transport
3.8.6 Ancillary Facilities
3.8.6.1 Electric Power Supply
3.8.6.2 Accommodations Complex
3.8.6.3 Maintenance and Warehouse Facilities
3.8.7 Fuel and Hazardous Materials Storage
3.8.8 Waste Management
3.8.8.1 Refuse Disposal
3.8.8.2 Sewage Disposal
3.8.8.3 Disposal of Other Materials
3.8.9 Labour Force
3.8.10 Equipment and Services
3.9 Project Decommissioning and Post-Decommissioning
3.9.1 Closure and Reclamation Plan
3.9.1.1 Open Pit and Underground Mines
3.9.1.2 Overburden, Mine Rock, and Tailings Disposal Areas
3.9.1.3 Infrastructure
3.9.2 Reclamation Plan
3.9.2.1 Plant Site and Concentrate Storage Area
3.9.2.2 Roads, Pipelines and Power Distribution Lines
3.9.2.3 Overburden and Non-Mineralized Mine Rock Disposal Facilities
3.9.2.4 Sedimentation Ponds and Diversion Channels
3.9.2.5 Dams, Dykes and Embankments
3.9.2.6 Airstrip
3.9.2.7 Underground Mine Openings
3.9.2.8 Fuel and Hazardous Materials Storage Facilities
3.9.2.9 Permanent Wharf
3.9.2.10 Construction Borrow Pits and Quarries
3.9.2.11 Explosives Storage
3.9.2.12 Miscellaneous Project Components
3.9.2.13 Labour Force
3.9.2.14 Goods and Services
3.9.2.15 Schedule
3.9.3 Temporary Shutdown
3.10 Human Resources
3.10.1 Human Resources Legislation
3.10.2 Human Resources Policy
3.10.2.1 Hiring Practices and Procurement
3.10.2.2 Skills and Entry Requirements
3.10.2.3 Pre-Orientation
3.10.2.4 Harassment
3.10.2.5 Alcohol and Drugs
3.10.2.6 Firearms
3.10.2.7 Smoking Policy
3.10.2.8 Medical Program
3.10.3 Training/Education
3.10.3.1 Cross-Cultural and Gender Sensitivity Training
3.10.3.2 Black Bear Awareness Training
3.10.3.3 Student Training
3.10.4 Labour Relations
3.10.4.1 Employee Concerns
3.10.4.2 Discipline Procedure
3.10.5 Employee Benefits
3.10.5.1 Health Care Plan
3.10.5.2 Work Clothing and Safety Equipment
3.10.5.3 Employee Assistance Programs
3.10.5.4 Vacation Leave
3.10.5.5 Salary
3.11 Occupational Health and Safety
3.12 Accidental Events
3.12.1 Tailings Pipeline Failure
3.12.2 Spills Within the Mill
3.12.3 Effluent Pipeline Failure - Water Treatment Plant
3.12.4 Dam Failure/Leaks at the Headwater Pond or North Tailings Basin
3.12.5 Headwater Pond
3.12.6 North Tailings Basin
3.12.7 Oil Spill at Fuel Storage Facilities
3.12.8 Shipping Vessel Accident
3.12.8.1 Oil Spill in Open Water
3.12.8.2 Oil Spill On or Under Landfast Ice
3.12.8.3 Oil Spill in Pack Ice
3.12.8.4 Spill of Concentrate
3.12.9 Fire
3.12.10 Hazardous Materials Spill
3.12.11 Explosions, Falls of Ground, and Open Pit Slope Failure
3.13 Other Projects
3.13.1 VBNC Activities
3.13.2 Mineral Exploration
3.13.3 Labrador West Mining Projects
3.13.4 Other Resource Development Activities
3.13.5 Military Low-Level Flying Activity
3.13.6 Kamistastin Hydro Project
3.13.7 Relocation of Utshimassits
3.13.8 Torngat National Park
3.13.9 Melville Hospital
3.13.10 Trans-Labrador Highway
3.14 References
Appendix 3A Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Appendix 3B Specific Revegetation Procedures for Reclamation
Appendix 3C Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Basic Principles for Employment and Procurement
Appendix 3D Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Harassment Policy
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1 Selected Economic Indicators - Newfoundland and Labrador 1993-1997
Table 3.2 GDP by Industry - Newfoundland and Labrador, 1994
Table 3.3 Labrador - Selected Statistics
Table 3.4 Reserves and Resources
Table 3.5 Ore Zone Mineralogy
Table 3.6 Shipping Season - Analysis of Alternatives
Table 3.7 Port Location - Analysis of Alternatives
Table 3.8 Tailings Disposal Site - Analysis of Alternatives
Table 3.9 Electric Power Supply - Analysis of Alternatives
Table 3.10 Site Accommodations - Analysis of Alternatives
Table 3.11 Fuel Requirements During Construction
Table 3.12 Estimated Excavation and Fill Quantities
Table 3.13 Preliminary Estimated Construction Equipment Requirements
Table 3.14 Estimated Construction Material Quantities
Table 3.15 Estimated Areas of Physical Disturbance for each Project Element
Table 3.16 Open Pit Equipment
Table 3.17 Typical Concentrate Analysis
Table 3.18 Mine Rock Management
Table 3.19 Estimated Personnel Requirements During Open Pit Operations
Table 3.20 Estimated Personnel Requirements During Underground Mining Operations
Table 3.21 Site and Yard Equipment Requirements
Table 3.22 Accidental Events - Potential Sources and Sensitivities
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3.1 Voisey's Bay Deposit Cross-Section
Figure 3.2 Voisey's Bay Mine/Mill Project - Site Layout
Figure 3.3 Potential Sites for Tailings Disposal
Figure 3.4 Construction Schedule
Figure 3.5 Open Pit Mine Site *
Figure 3.6 Headwater Pond Co-Disposal Area
Figure 3.7 Typical Cross-Section - Schematic of Dam H2 *
Figure 3.8 North Tailings Basin Layout
Figure 3.9 Typical Cross-Section - Main Dam at North Tailings Basin
Figure 3.10 Cross-Section - Typical Road
Figure 3.11 Tailings Reclaim Pipeline and Associated Roads
Figure 3.12 Plant Site Layout
Figure 3.13 Port Facility, Edward's Cove
Figure 3.14 Port Fuel Storage Area
Figure 3.15 Shipping Dock
Figure 3.16 Layout and Cross-Section of Airstrip
Figure 3.17 Temporary Receiving Dock - Plan View
Figure 3.18 Temporary Receiving Dock - Cross-Section
Figure 3.19 Potential Areas of Physical Disturbance
Figure 3.20 Noise Contours during Construction (24 hour LEQ)
Figure 3.21 Blasting Noise Contours Peak Pressure Level (dB)
Figure 3.22 Typical Exploration Shaft Headworks
Figure 3.23 Artistic Rendering of Plant Site
Figure 3.24 Artistic Rendering of Port Site
Figure 3.25 Open Pit Schematic
Figure 3.26 Open Pit Cross-Sectional View
Figure 3.27 Typical Surface Facilities for an Underground Mine - Eastern Deeps
Figure 3.28 Typical Underground Infrastructure - Eastern Deeps
Figure 3.29 Conceptual Process Flowsheet
Figure 3.30 Water Balance Schematic during Start-up Period
Figure 3.31 Water Balance Schematic during Open Pit Operations
Figure 3.32 Water Balance Schematic during Underground Operations
Figure 3.33 Shipping Routes
Figure 3.34 Oil Spill Distribution - Open Water - Paul Island
Figure 3.35 Oil Spill Distribution - Open Water - Edward's Cove (Flood Tide)
Figure 3.36 Oil Spill Distribution - Open Water - Edward's Cove (Ebb Tide)
Figure 3.37 Oil Spill - Under Ice Conditions - Paul Island
Figure 3.38 Oil Spill - Under Ice Conditions - Edward's Cove
Figure 3.39 Spill of Concentrate - Edward's Cove
Figure 3.40 Spill of Concentrate - Paul Island
