ENVIRONMENT: Stantec secures approval for Greenstone’s Hardrock pit

[caption id="attachment_1003728902" align="aligncenter" width="530"] Core from the Hardrock property near Geraldton, Ont. (Image: Premier Gold Mines)[/caption] ONTARIO – Greenstone Gold Mines’ Hardrock open pit gold project has passed an important regulatory phase. The environmental assessment (EA) was recently approved under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. This is the third provincial mining EA approved in Ontario’s history. With both federal and provincial government approval, the Hardrock project can move forward with the permitting process. Stantec provided environmental services for a co-ordinated federal-provincial EA under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act. Services included the development of a provincial terms of reference, a federal project description report, the environmental impact statement/environmental assessment (EIS/EA), and numerous supporting studies and technical reports to support the submissions. To finalize supporting materials for the EIS/EA, Stantec lead key deliverables to ensure the assessment met all regulatory standards, including baseline data collection for groundwater, surface water, soil and sediment, acoustics, air quality, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife and habitats, socio-economics, cultural heritage resources, and archaeology. Throughout the process, Stantec participated with Greenstone in an extensive consultation process that involved regular meetings and correspondence with regulators to address any comments or questions regarding the project. "This is a tremendous win for the Hardrock project, and Stantec is thrilled to have been part of this process in helping to meet all regulatory requirements required to proceed to the next phase of the project,” says Piero Amodeo, mining sector leader, Stantec. “It is the collective EIS/EA experience from our dedicated team of planners, biologists, scientists, engineers, and other industry leading experts, working closely with GGM which helped secure this approval.  I could not be more proud of this team.” Located just south of Geraldton, the 2,200-hectare Hardrock project site is a proposed open pit gold mine and processing mill. The planned production for the mine is up to 30,000 tonnes of ore per day. Total gold production over the life of the mine is anticipated to be approximately 4.2 million oz. Stantec is continuing to assist GGM with permitting, annual field programs, and compliance with environmental assessment conditions. Greenstone is a 50-50 joint venture partnership between Centerra Gold and Premier Gold Mines. Learn how Stantec’s expertise can guide your environmental assessment application through to acceptance at www.Stantec.com.