Board Approves Prairie Creek Road
After several years of work, the assessment of Canadian Zinc’s proposed Prairie Creek Mine access road is almost complete and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board is recommending its approval to Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.
In a letter to the minister which accompanied the final report on the assessment, Review Board Chairperson JoAnne Deneron wrote, “The Review Board recommends … that the approval of the Prairie Creek All Season Road be made subject to implementation of the measures described in this Report of EA, which are necessary to prevent significant adverse impacts on the environment and people.”
The measures recommended by the Review Board include requirements for Canadian Zinc Corp to:
Create an Independent Technical Review Panel, to ensure that the road is designed to a standard that is highly protective of people and the environment;
Create a Traffic Control Mitigation and Management Plan;
Conduct systematic wildlife monitoring and adaptive management incorporating Traditional Knowledge;
Prepare a Wildlife Mitigation and Monitoring Plan;
Install stations to collect baseline water flow data, to use when designing water crossings;
Collect detailed baseline information, monitor effects and make an adaptive management framework for the Sundog Creek diversion;
Further engage Traditional Knowledge holders about cultural and heritage resources in the Project area, and conduct an Archaeological Impact Assessment incorporating this Traditional Knowledge;
Conduct a rare plant survey to form the basis of a Rare Plant Management Plan;
Conduct permafrost investigations to inform road design and appropriate permafrost mitigations;
Create a Permafrost Management Plan with systematic permafrost monitoring and adaptive management; and,
Support independent community monitoring of the Project.
The environmental assessment for the Prairie Creek All Season Road was completed using 13.5 months of Review Board time, which is within the federally imposed deadline of 16 months for environmental assessments that include a hearing.
“We are pleased that the Review Board has concluded that the All Season Road may proceed to the regulatory phase for approvals,” said Alan Taylor, Chief Operating Officer of Canadian Zinc. “The Review Board has recommended a series of measures and made suggestions, intended to reduce or avoid identified impacts and mitigate any significant adverse impact on the environment. Canadian Zinc is confident that the measures prescribed by the Review Board, many of which build on Canadian Zinc’s commitments made during the EA, can be satisfactorily addressed.”
Taylor was quick to point out that this important milestone would never have been reached if not for the work of the Review Board members and staff as well as the tremendous support expressed at the community level.
“The enthusiastic support for the project voiced by the leaders and members of Nahanni Butte Dene Band, the nearest potentially affected community, based on expected socio-economic benefits, was recognized by the Review Board in considering its decision,” he said. “We acknowledge the work of the Review Board staff and various government departments and agencies throughout the lengthy EA process, including Parks Canada as part of the road runs through Nahanni National Park Reserve, and we appreciate their cooperation in addressing and resolving many issues.”
With the year-round access road likely to be approved by the minister in the coming months, the company can now focus on raising money to construct the route as well as the previously approved Prairie Creek Mine.
“This is an important milestone for the Prairie Creek project and Canadian Zinc Corporation,” said John Kearney, Chairman and Chief Executive of Canadian Zinc. “Having successfully completed the environmental assessment and secured the recommendation of the Review Board that development of the All Season Road be approved, we will now proceed to quickly finalize the Definitive Feasibility Study and pursue financing for the construction and development of the Prairie Creek Mine.”
Over the past eight years Canadian Zinc has successfully completed numerous environmental assessments related to exploration and development of the Prairie Creek Mine. Canadian Zinc has obtained all the significant regulatory permits and social licences required to complete construction and development and undertake mining and milling at Prairie Creek, including construction and use of a winter access road to the mine site.
Canadian Zinc is currently in the process of negotiating a Supplemental IBA Agreement with Nahanni Butte Dene Band which will include co-management and community monitoring of the All Season Road.
The Prairie Creek zinc-lead-silver mine already has extensive infrastructure in place including five kilometres of underground workings on three levels, a 1,000 ton per day mill, a fleet of heavy duty and light duty surface vehicles, three surface exploration diamond drill rigs, camp accommodations, maintenance and water treatment facilities and a 1,000 metre-long gravel airstrip.
Pre-production capital costs, including provision for a new all season road, were estimated at $244 million, including contingency, with a projected payback of five years.
Canadian Zinc is currently completing a Definitive Feasibility Study, which is being carried out by AMC Mining Consultants (Canada) Ltd. and Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. to facilitate the raising of project debt financing for the Prairie Creek Project. It is expected that the study will be completed before the end of 2017.
