Water board failing Arctic Bay residents: QIA

ANNETTE BOURGEOIS

The president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association says the Nunavut Water Board is ignoring concerns about environmental contaminants at Nanisivik Mines Ltd.

Lazarus Arreak says QIA is ready to call for a judicial review if the NWB issues a water licence to Nanisivik Mines without addressing those concerns.

“Our beneficiaries are very worried about the impact of the mine on the environment and their health,” Arreak said. “QIA will not stand by if the water board does not clearly deal with these legitimate fears.”

The NWB has drafted a new licence for the mine that addresses complaints from residents of Arctic Bay about high dust levels, contaminants spillage and pollutants leaching from the mine’s tailings pond.

But Arreak says it doen’t go far enough in making Nanisivik Mines responsible for the environment.

“Failure to include such meaningful standards and restrictions on the operation of the mine render the NWB water licence ineffective and impotent,” Arreak stated in his response to the draft.

The mine has been operating since last fall under an extension of its previous water licence.

Among other things, the Nunavut Water Board has asked Nanisivik Mines to post a $7 million security deposit over a six-year period.

Arreak says the amount of the security deposit isn’t high enough. He said it should be at least large enough to cover the costs of the eventual closure of the mine and restoration the area.

QIA has urged the water board to require Nanisivik Mines to post a performance bond that would cover the costs of an environmental cleanup in the event of accidental contamination.

John McConnell, general manager at Nanisivik Mines, feels the performance bond is unnecessary and that the mine’s track record should speak for itself.

“We’ve been operating here for over 20 years and I think we have a responsible track record,” he said. “We’re not going to abandon the place tomorrow and leave it the way it is. We’re here for the long term.”

He said new companies, such as BHP Diamonds Inc, that haven’t proven themselves in the North should expect to put up large performance bonds.

“We’ve done a good job here and acted responsibly,” he said about the 22-year-old operation.

Though the draft licence would also require Nanisivik Mines to undertake a number of environment-related studies, QIA says they should be done by an independent inspector. It also wants to see the water board take an active role in reviewing those studies instead of waiting and only reacting when people raise concerns.

“Such responsibility rests with the NWB and failure to take appropriate action in reponse to study results constitutes an abdication of jurisdiction conferred on the NWB under the Land Claims Agreement,” Arreak said.

McConnell said he’s frustrated the process is taking so long, but understands the NWB must be cautious issuing its first major water licence.

“It would be nice to get on with it, to have the water licence so we can start on the studies that are required,” he said.