Science Response 2008/005

Review of the Midwest Project Environmental Impact Statement and compensation Plan

Context

Areva Resources Canada Inc. has proposed to expand its current uranium mining and milling operations in northern Saskatchewan to include the proposed Midwest Mine, and has submitted an environmental impact statement to Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) for review. The project is subject to a Comprehensive Study under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). DFO is a Responsible Authority (RA) for the project due to the requirement for authorization of the destruction of fish habitat under s. 35(2) of the Fisheries Act and the destruction of fish by means other than fishing under s. 32 of the Fisheries Act.

Habitat Management requested DFO Science review of the compensation plan for the Midwest Mine. In particular, they asked the following questions:

1. Have impacts of the project on fish and fish habitat been adequately assessed?
2. If impacts have not been adequately assessed, what procedures are required to enable an adequate assessment of impacts?
3. Is the fish habitat compensation plan and follow-up monitoring plan that has been provided adequate, and does it show that there will be no net loss in the productive capacity of fish habitat as a result of the project?
4. If the fish habitat compensation and follow-up monitoring plan that has been provided is inadequate, what changes are required to ensure that the plan is adequate, and that there will be no net loss of productive capacity after plan implementation?

Habitat Management (HM) provided Science with the Midwest Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) February 13, 2008 without the compensation plan. The proposed Compensation Plan (Areva 2007 Appendix III) for the Midwest Project was provided to reviewers on April 1, 2008 and the review was requested by May 2, 2008. Given the short timeline to prepare a response, and since DFO is not the final advisory body for this request (CEAA process), DFO Central and Arctic Science determined that a Special Science Response Process would be used.

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