Baffinland deflects Nunavut regulator’s recommendations

A heavy equipment operator at work at Baffindland’s Mary River mine site. (BAFFINLAND PHOTO)

Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. has responded to recommendations from the Nunavut Impact Review Board, but the company doesn’t plan to follow many of them at its Mary River mine site.

The NIRB’s 2013-14 monitoring report -— designed to keep Mary River in compliance with its project certificate — did not raise any issues of significant concern, but made some recommendations following a September 2014 site visit.

Most had to do with different wildlife monitoring and waste management programs at the Baffin site, like the NIRB’s recommendation to analyse dust-fall or ash in caribou pellets.

Baffinland said it would continue to gather caribou fecal pellet samples for different kinds of monitoring, but that the program would be limited because there are so few caribou in the project area.

“Samples will be analyzed for ash content when a sufficient sample of fresh pellets are collected,” read Baffinland’s Dec. 12 response to the NIRB.

But Baffinland says it has not and will not monitor the organ tissue of caribou for metals — a condition of the project certificate — outside the support of the Government of Nunavut’s caribou health monitoring program.

“Changes in the health of caribou because of project activities are unlikely,” Baffinland said in its response. “Baffinland will not collect organ tissues until there are indications of risk of increased metals uptake by caribou as a result of the project.”

Another NIRB recommendation asked the company to install flashing red or white strobe lights on communication towers to deter birds.

But while the company acknowledges there are potential interactions between birds and towers, Baffinland said it’s not prepared to modify the structures until there is more evidence that it’s an issue.

“Baffinland started monitoring the towers for potential bird mortalities in May 2014, likely near the end of spring migration as migratory birds arrived on site,” the company said. “There has been no indication of bird mortality associated with the towers.”

In response to other monitoring recommendations, Baffinland agreed to continue with its current programs, without making new firm commitments.

When the NIRB recommended Baffinland work with the Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization in nearby Pond Inlet to survey and monitor Arctic char in freshwater bodies, the company said that it has been doing that with various other regulators, and will present its latest results in an annual report to the Nunavut Water Board.

Similarly, Baffinland said it will continue to work with the Government of Nunavut to refine a study design for polar bear monitoring “if required as relevant to potential project interactions.”

Asked to update its plans for spill response equipment and annual training to Nunavummiut communities along its shipping routes, Baffinland pointed to two training exercises it held in both 2013 and 2014 with a representative from Pond Inlet in attendance.

NIRB inspectors who visited Mary River last year also noted that signage relaying safety warnings around the mine site did not incorporate Inuktitut, as is outlined in section 11 of the mine’s Inuit Impact Benefits Agreement.

“The company supports the principle of increased usage of Inuktitut over the life of the project,” Baffinland said, noting its first priority is “provide translation and interpretation services as are necessary for all employees to function safely, effectively and comfortably.”

You can see Baffinland’s full response here.

The company will submit its full 2014 Annual Monitoring report to the NIRB by March 31. 2015.