Science Response 2019/038

Science Review of Additional Documents Submitted June 18–August 29, 2019 for the Final Environmental Impact Statement Addendum for the Baffinland Mary River Project Phase 2

Context

The Baffinland (BIM) Mary River Project is an operating open pit iron ore mine located on North Baffin Island in Nunavut. The mine site is connected to Milne Inlet Port via the Milne Inlet Tote Road and ore is transported to Europe via the Northern Shipping Route through Eclipse Sound, Pond Inlet, and Baffin Bay. The Southern Transportation Corridor via Steensby Port has not been constructed to date (see Baffinland 2018, DFO 2019a).

Given the financial costs and risks associated with full implementation of the Project at that time, BIM decided to take a phased approach, beginning with a smaller, less-costly option called the Early Revenue Phase (ERP) which involved shipping 4 million tons per annum (Mtpa) of ore from Milne Port. Since then, BIM has requested two Project amendments to increase the volume of ore shipments from Milne Port via the northern shipping route, including most recently the Phase 2 Addendum submitted to the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB), which describes the activities associated with the second phase of the Project (an increase to a total of 12 Mtpa road/rail haulage and marine shipping through Milne Port) and provides an updated effects assessment.

Throughout the technical review stage, Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP; formerly Fisheries Protection Program) requested that DFO Science review and provide advice on the additional materials submitted by BIM to support BIM’s conclusions in the Phase 2 Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The results of these reviews were presented to the NIRB during the first (April 2019) and second (June 2019) technical review meetings (DFO 2019a,b).

The objective of the current review is to assess whether the new supporting and supplementary materials (provided between June 18 and August 29) for the Phase 2 FEIS Addendum provides sufficient evidence to support BIM’s conclusions regarding potential ecosystem impacts of the expanded Mary River Project on marine aquatic species and habitats (particularly as it relates to marine mammals and shipping). More specifically, the objectives are to:

1. assess the quality and adequacy of information presented, and determine if any relevant information is missing and if there are gaps in the analyses;
2. determine if appropriate methods were used to develop BIM’s conclusions, and if the information presented supports those conclusions;
3. determine the appropriateness and adequacy of the proposed mitigation and monitoring measures;
4. if necessary, recommend additional or alternative mitigation and monitoring measures to reduce or avoid impacts to fish and fish habitat, including marine mammals, and;
5. if necessary, recommend additional information, studies, data collection, etc. that is required for DFO to complete its assessment.

This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process held September 13,  2019 on the Science Review of Additional Supporting and Supplementary Materials Submitted June 18–August 29, 2019 for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Addendum for the Baffinland Mary River Project Phase 2. Advice from this Science Response Report will be considered by FFHPP in the development of their final written submission to the NIRB.

Science Response 2019/038 (PDF, 1,039 KB)

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