December 7, 2012

The Gahcho Kue Project is an open-pit diamond mine proposed by De Beers Canada Inc. (DBCI) located about 280 km northeast of Yellowknife, NT.

The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB) is undertaking an environmental impact review (EIR) of the project.

Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) departments have been actively engaged in the EIR process. 

Departmental staff have reviewed and commented on the Environmental Impact Statement for the project; participated in information requests and technical sessions and met with DBCI on multiple occasions to clarify additional information and discuss commitments to mitigate possible impacts that could arise from the project. 

The GNWT Technical Report, submitted to the MVEIRB in October discussed the following topics related to the project:

• Enhancing the project’s Wildlife Effects Monitoring Program that will test impact predictions on wildlife.


• A collaborative approach to managing issues pertaining to De Beers’ contribution to regional scale wildlife monitoring and implementing a collaborative Road Access Management Plan.


• Enhancing the project’s Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Protection Plan to further mitigate project-specific impacts.


• Finalizing a Socio-Economic Agreement follow-up program between the GNWT and DBCI to collaboratively monitor and manage socio-economic commitments.

 

Copies of the GNWT Technical Report and GNWT Presentation can be found on the MVEIRB public registry at:  www.reviewboard.ca