Offsetting Plan Summary for the Côté Gold Project...waterbodies (ponds and small streams) will be...
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Offsetting Plan Summary for the Côté Gold Project August 2019 Overview As part of the development of the Côté Gold Project, several water features will be fully or partially overprinted. The removal or alteration of lakes, rivers and other smaller waterbodies will result in a loss of fish habitat and potential harm to fish within these areas. The avoidance and mitigation of loss of fish habitat and potential harm to the fishery is an important part of the design and engineering of the Project, but as noted above, the Project is anticipated to permanently alter or destroy some existing fish habitat. Therefore, a Fisheries Act Authorization (FAA) under Section 35 of the Fisheries Act is required. Some of the existing waterbodies (ponds and small streams) will be overprinted by mine waste storage facilities (Tailings Management Area and Mine Rock Area). In order to place these storage facilities in areas with fish, an approval under Section 36 of the Fisheries Act, called a Schedule 2 Amendment is required. To obtain a FAA and Schedule 2 Amendment, IAMGOLD has developed a habitat “offsetting plan”. This plan is designed to counterbalance unavoidable serious harm to fish (and loss of fish habitat) and, where possible, improve the productivity of the existing fishery. The Offsetting Plan addresses habitat losses under both Section 35 (FAA) and Section 36 (Schedule 2) of the Fisheries Act in a single comprehensive plan. The proposed Offsetting Plan has been developed to comply with the policies of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to ensure sustainable productive capacity of the fish communities and habitats associated with the Project. This will be accomplished in several ways: 1. implementing a fish salvage and relocation program to reduce the number of fish harmed 2. scheduling offsetting activities to limit the length of time and spatial area of fish habitat being affected 3. developing new fish habitat in the same areas (watershed) as it is being lost (an “in-kind” approach to offsetting). Habitat that is destroyed or permanently altered will be replaced by similar or improved quality of the same type of habitat, with allowances for time for the new habitat to be fully functional. IAMGOLD proposes to create a New Lake and channel realignment plans 4. identifying additional out-of-kind offsetting to contribute to research to improve methods for environmental effect monitoring programs which monitor the aquatic environment and support the environmental management of mine effluents within Canada. [email protected] www.iamgold.com/cotegold The Côté Gold Project (the Project) is a proposed open pit gold mine that is located approximately 20 km southwest of Gogama and 130 km southwest of Timmins. The Project is a joint venture between IAMGOLD and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.
Transcript of Offsetting Plan Summary for the Côté Gold Project...waterbodies (ponds and small streams) will be...
Offsetting Plan Summary for the Côté Gold Project
August 2019
OverviewAs part of the development of the Côté Gold Project, several water features will be fully or partially overprinted. The removal or alteration of lakes, rivers and other smaller waterbodies will result in a loss of fish habitat and potential harm to fish within these areas. The avoidance and mitigation of loss of fish habitat and potential harm to the fishery is an important part of the design and engineering of the Project, but as noted above, the Project is anticipated to permanently alter or destroy some existing fish habitat. Therefore, a Fisheries Act Authorization (FAA) under Section 35 of the Fisheries Act is required. Some of the existing waterbodies (ponds and small streams) will be overprinted by mine waste storage facilities (Tailings Management Area and Mine Rock Area). In order to place these storage facilities in areas with fish, an approval under Section 36 of the Fisheries Act, called a Schedule 2 Amendment is required. To obtain a FAA and Schedule 2 Amendment, IAMGOLD has developed a habitat “offsetting plan”. This plan is designed to counterbalance unavoidable serious harm to fish (and loss of fish habitat) and, where possible, improve the productivity of the existing fishery. The Offsetting Plan addresses habitat losses under both Section 35 (FAA) and Section 36 (Schedule 2) of the Fisheries Act in a single comprehensive plan.The proposed Offsetting Plan has been developed to comply with the policies of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to ensure sustainable productive capacity of the fish communities and habitats associated with the Project. This will be accomplished in several ways:
1. implementing a fish salvage and relocation program to reduce the number of fish harmed2. scheduling offsetting activities to limit the length of time and spatial area of fish habitat being affected 3. developing new fish habitat in the same areas (watershed) as it is being lost (an “in-kind” approach to
offsetting). Habitat that is destroyed or permanently altered will be replaced by similar or improved quality of the same type of habitat, with allowances for time for the new habitat to be fully functional. IAMGOLD proposes to create a New Lake and channel realignment plans
4. identifying additional out-of-kind offsetting to contribute to research to improve methods for environmental effect monitoring programs which monitor the aquatic environment and support the environmental management of mine effluents within Canada.
[email protected] www.iamgold.com/cotegold
The Côté Gold Project (the Project) is a proposed open pit gold mine that is located approximately 20 km southwest of Gogama
and 130 km southwest of Timmins. The Project is a joint venture between
IAMGOLD and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.
[email protected] www.iamgold.com/cotegold
Offsetting Plan Summary for the Côté Gold Project Page 2
www.iamgold.com/cotegold
How is fish habitat loss calculated and compensated for?The predicted loss of fish habitat associated with the Project was assessed relative to the planned habitat to be created (and altered) through the Offsetting Plan considering the net change in productive fish capacity. Habitat units were used as a substitute for fish productivity which is very difficult to effectively measure. Habitat units were considered for lakes and streams separately for five representative resident species (northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, lake whitefish, smallmouth bass) and considered their use of the habitat during their four key life history stages (i.e., spawning and incubation, juvenile rearing, adult foraging, and overwintering for all life stages). Fish habitat was also evaluated for those areas lost under Schedule 2 where only small-bodied forage fish (minnows) were present. The results of this assessment were totaled for each species for both habitat types before and after mine development.
Which areas will be lost?The Open Pit and Mine Rock Area will partially or fully overprint:•Côté Lake•Mollie River• two small portions of Clam Lake•several small tributaries and ponds within the Mollie River watershed.
Construction of the Tailings Management Facility will result in the loss of several small unnamed waterbodies, West Beaver Pond, and their associated tributaries.
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Upper Three Duck Lake
Weeduck Lake
Middle Three Duck Lake
Unnamed Lake #4
Sawpeter Lake
Moore Lake
Attach Lake
Chain Lake
Lower Three Duck Lake
Clam Lake
Little Clam Lake
CôtéLake
Mollie River
Moll
ie
River
Bagsverd Pond
Mesomikenda Lake
West Beaver Pond
North Beaver
Pond
East Beaver Pond
Clam Creek Mollie River
ChesterLake
Unnamed Waterbody #1
Unnamed Waterbody #5
Unnamed Waterbody #4
Unnamed Waterbody #2 Unnamed
Waterbody #3
Unnamed Pond
East Clam Lake
Bagsverd Lake
Unnamed Lake #5
Unnamed Lake #6
UnnamedLake #3
UnnamedWatebody #6
Emulsion Plant
Mine Rock Area
(MRA)
Mine Camp
Reclaim Pond
MineInfrastructure
Ore Stockpile
Tailings Management
Facility (TMF)
Top Soil Overburden
Stockpile
Open Pit
Polishing Pond
WRC1
WRC2
NewLake
WRC1 BypassChannel
WRC2 BypassChannel
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Document Path: S:\Projects\187202\187202.0015 - IAMGOLD Côté Gold FAA and Permitting Support\GIS\ECCC Meeting Aug 2019\18-15 Figure 1 Habitat Loss Overview.mxd
LEGENDSection 35 AuthorizationSchedule 2Section 35 Authorization, StreamSection 35 Authorization, Intermittent
Schedule 2, StreamSchedule 2, IntermittentStarter DamOpen Pit
StockpileTMFSeepage Collection PondReclaim Pond
New LakeRealignment ChannelBypass ChannelDam
DykeSite Road
Overview of Habitat Loss, Côté Gold Project
Date: August 2019Project 187202.0015 Figure 1
0 1 20.5
Kilometers ²Projection: North American Datum 1983 UTM Zone 17Reproduced under licence from Her Majesty the Queen in Right ofCanada, Department of Natural Resources Canada.All rights reserved.
Note: WRC - Water Realignment Channel
Future FlowDirection
HH
H
Figure 1 provides an overview of fish habitat loss.
[email protected] www.iamgold.com/cotegold
Offsetting Plan Summary for the Côté Gold Project Page 3
How will these losses be compensated?To compensate for these habitat losses:•streams will be constructed to maintain flow out of Clam Lake and in the Mollie River system •flow from Clam Lake will be directed south to Chester Lake•a New Lake will be created over portions of the Mollie River and East Beaver Pond (downstream of Chester
Lake). The outlet of the New Lake will flow north to the southwest corner of Upper Three Duck Lake around the Open Pit
•Unnamed Pond outlet will be relocated to flow to the New Lake (to maintain its connection to the watershed •existing connections between Little Clam and East Clam to Clam Lake and will be improved to allow fish
greater access to habitats •Weeduck Lake will be connected to Upper Three Duck Lake because it is currently cut off and fish cannot
move from Weeduck to other habitats in the watershed • two aggregate pits will be developed into fish habitat to support small-bodied fish communities • IAMGOLD has also committed to providing in-kind compensation to further eDNA sampling of
Environmental Effects Monitoring. However, this makes up a very small part of the offsetting plan which is mostly focused on creating habitat in the local area.
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Upper Three Duck Lake
Weeduck Lake
Middle Three Duck Lake
Unnamed Lake #4
Sawpeter Lake
Moore Lake
Attach Lake
Chain Lake
Lower Three Duck Lake
Clam Lake
Little Clam Lake
CôtéLake
Moll
ie
River
Bagsverd Pond
Mesomikenda Lake
West Beaver Pond
North Beaver
Pond
East Beaver Pond
Clam Creek
ChesterLake
Unnamed Waterbody #1
Unnamed Waterbody #5
Unnamed Waterbody #4
Unnamed Waterbody #2 Unnamed
Waterbody #3
Unnamed Pond
East Clam Lake
Bagsverd Lake
Unnamed Lake #5
Unnamed Lake #6
UnnamedLake #3
UnnamedWatebody #6
Emulsion Plant
Mine Rock Area
(MRA)
Mine Camp
Reclaim Pond
MineInfrastructure
Ore Stockpile
Tailings Management
Facility (TMF)
Top Soil Overburden
Stockpile
Open Pit
Polishing Pond
Clam Creek Realignment
WRC1
Mollie River Realignment
WRC2
NewLake
WRC1 BypassChannel
WRC2 BypassChannel
Aggregate Pit #3
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Document Path: S:\Projects\187202\187202.0015 - IAMGOLD Côté Gold FAA and Permitting Support\GIS\ECCC Meeting Aug 2019\18-15 Figure 2 Offsetting Areas.mxd
LEGENDOffsetting HabitatTMFSeepage Collection PondReclaim Pond
Open PitStockpileStarter DamWetland
Realignment ChannelOutlet ChannelProposed WaterbodyBypass Channel
DamDykeSite Road
Overview of Offsetting Areas, Côté Gold Project
Date: August 2019Project 187202.0015 Figure 2
0 1 20.5
Kilometers ²Projection: North American Datum 1983 UTM Zone 17Reproduced under licence from Her Majesty the Queen in Right ofCanada, Department of Natural Resources Canada.All rights reserved.Note: WRC - Water Realignment Channel
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Weeduck Lake
Bagsverd Lake
Unnamed Lake #5 Unnamed
Lake #6
SchistLake
Bagsverd Creek
Reclaim Pond
Tailings Management Facility (TMF)
Bagsverd Aggregate
Pit
Future Flow DirectionH
Figure 2 shows the offsetting areas proposed in the Offsetting Plan.
[email protected] www.iamgold.com/cotegold
Offsetting Plan Summary for the Côté Gold Project Page 4
For more information please contact us: [email protected] our Project mailing list to be kept informed about the Project and any upcoming events by sending an email to: [email protected]
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What will happen to these offsets at Closure?Following operations and pit filling (expected to take approximately 30 years) most of the watercourse realignments will be left as wetland habitat and the watersheds will be returned to their original configuration. The Open Pit will be developed into a lake and the polishing pond will be restored (the low grade ore stockpile and the polishing pond dam will be removed) to the arm of Upper Three Duck. The New Lake will remain, as requested by First Nations during consultation on the approved mine Closure Plan.
Summary and BenefitsThe assessment suggests that the proposed Offsetting Plan will result in a net gain in fish habitat with, more offsets being provided through lake habitat compared to stream habitat. While the stream offsets are less, the offsetting stream habitat is expected to be of high quality combining a diversity of habitat (riffles, deep pools, runs) and with a variety of structures for both cover and spawning. It is expected that this habitat will be suitable for a variety of species and promote connections within the watershed and access to a variety of habitats (both stream and lake). In addition, restoring East Clam Lake and Weeduck Lake to their original configuration by removing access roads that are no longer required, the fish populations within these lakes will have access to a variety of habitat and better overwintering conditions in larger lakes (e.g., Clam Lake and Upper Three Duck Lake).The Offsetting Plan meets the goals of providing new habitat that maintains the flow connections of the watersheds, includes natural channel design to maximize the habitat productivity, and promotes connections within the watershed and between habitats. The Plan has committed to a number of mitigation measures including:•consideration of fish habitat in construction sequencing •fish salvages/relocations, construction best management practices •methods to reduce the time required for the habitat to be fully functional (lag times). These include
the construction of physical habitat features and the effective transplanting of various ecosystem components (e.g., plants and invertebrates) to stimulate the establishment of the aquatic ecosystem in the newly constructed habitat
Based on this assessment, the proposed Offsetting Plan, will result in an increase in fish productivity over the existing conditions.
