THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BEGIN ON AUGUST 28th, 2007
Québec, August 10th, 2007 – The commission of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), made up of Mr. Qussaï Samak, chair, and Mr. Michel Germain, commissioner, is holding the first part of the public hearing on the Projet de mine de fer du lac Bloom. The public hearing will begin on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 7:00 p.m at SAAN’s local located at 299, rue Le Carrefour, at Fermont. The sessions will continue on the following days, depending on the needs of the public and the commission.
A hearing in two parts
1. Obtaining information
The public hearing will take place in two parts. In the presence of the proponent and resource persons invited to answer participants’ questions, the first part will allow the public and the commission to obtain information about the project in order to learn more about it and examine all its aspects.
2. Voicing opinions
During the second part of the public hearing, whose dates and location will be announced subsequently, the commission will obtain the public’s opinion and suggestions. The commission will hear any person, group, organization or municipality wishing to express an opinion on the project, be it in the form of a brief or an oral presentation.
The commission has a maximum period of four months to carry out its mandate. The BAPE report will be submitted to Ms. Line Beauchamp, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, by December 20th, 2007, at the latest. The Minister will then have 60 days to make the report public.
Where can the project documentation be consulted ?
You can consult the documents pertaining to the project at the BAPE office in Québec City, at Bibliothèque centrale de l’Université du Québec à Montréal, as well as at the following locations:
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bibliothèque municipale de Fermont, 130, rue Le Carrefour, Fermont ;
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bibliothèque Louis-Ange-Santerre, 500, avenue Jolliet, Sept-Îles ;
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Radio CKAU, 100, rue Montagnais, Maliotenam ;
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Musée Shaputuan, 290, boulevard des Montagnais, Sept-Îles.
The documents may also be consulted on the BAPE website at the following address: www.bape.gou.qc.ca.
The project
Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited plans to develop and operate a new iron mine on its Lac Bloom property located 13 km northwest of the Town of Fermont, in the RCM of Caniapiscau. The metal mine would be of the “open pit” type and the extraction pit, having a planned area of 211 ha, would be located between Lac Mazaré, Lac Pignac and Lac de la Confusion. The ore would be concentrated on site and the concentrator would produce 7 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Approximately 20 million tonnes of tailings would also be produced each year. These tailings would be stored at a nearby tailing confinement area. The concentrate would be shipped by rail to Wabush, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, then from there, to the Port of Sept-Îles. For the time being, the proponent intends to operate the mine and the concentrator over a twenty-year period. The project represents an initial investment on the order of $400 million.
For more information, you can get in touch with Danielle Hawey, Communication Advisor, by dialing 418 643-7447, extension 533 or toll-free 1 800 463-4732. You can also contact the commission by e-mail at the following address : lacbloom @bape.gouv.qc.ca.
What is the bape?
The BAPE is a public information and consultation organization that allows citizens to express their views on a given project and to take part in the decision-making process, which may or may not lead to the authorization of a project. The BAPE carries out the mandates entrusted to it by the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, notably the public information and consultation mandate lasting 45 days, the public hearing mandate which may last up to 4 months, and the mediation mandate lasting about 2 months.
In response to the requests for a public hearing submitted to the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks by citizens, groups, organizations or municipalities, the BAPE has been mandated to hold a public hearing on the Projet de mine de fer du lac Bloom .
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Source : Danielle Hawey
Communication Advisor
418 643-7447 ou 1 800 463-4732, extension 533
lacbloom@bape.gouv.qc.ca
