Wekeezhii Land and Water Board EKATI Mine Water Licence Renewal - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WLWB Water Licence Renewal Public Hearing February 12-13, 2013 Slide 1

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Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board EKATI Mine Water Licence Renewal Public Hearing

February 12-13, 2013 Behchoko

Location of EKATI Diamond Mine

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• Canada’s first diamond mine
• Operating for 15 years

EKATI Diamond Mine

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• Safety is our Core Value
• Underground mining continues
• Open Pit mining at Misery and

Fox open pits

• Open Pit mining at Pigeon is

scheduled

Coppermine River Drainage

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Koala Drainage (LLCF)

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King Cujo Drainage (Misery Site)

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Traditional Knowledge

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• Traditional Knowledge inclusion into

site based monitoring programs.

• Support Community-Based

Traditional Knowledge Projects

• Enhance feedback to communities on

Traditional Knowledge initiatives.

• Provide Traditional Knowledge

input to Reclamation Planning.

EKATI Diamond Mine – Permitting History

WLWB Water Licence Renewal Public Hearing February 12-13, 2013 Slide 8

1995 1997 2000 2002 2005 2009 EKATI submitted Environmental Impact Statement EKATI main site received water licence Environmental Assesment submitted for Sable, Pigeon and Beartooth Sable, Pigeon and Beartooth water licence received EKATI main site water licence renewed Sable, Pigeon and Beartooth water licence renewed and amalgamated with main site licence Submit renewal application to Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board 2012 Water licences received for Sable and Misery road watering 2001-2002 1st and 2nd Type B Water Licences Road watering licences cancelled and replaced with drawdown plans under the Type A Licences 2007 No Type B Licences remain Current Type A Licence remains 1st Type A Water Licences 2nd Type A Water Licences EKATI water licence requires renewal 2013

2013 Water Licence Renewal

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1. Proposed Changes to the Water Licence, with rationales

• clarity, updates

2. Complete review of Effluent Quality Criteria (EQC)

• Boards’ Policy

Renewal Core Team

• Eric Denholm, EKATI Diamond Mine
• Nicole Spencer, EKATI Diamond Mine
• Erin Forster, EKATI Diamond Mine
• Marc Wen, Rescan Environmental Services Ltd.
• Dr. Peter Chapman, Golder Associates Ltd.
• Kevin O’Callaghan, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin

Receiving Environment

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Protecting the Environment

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Protecting the Environment

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Site Specific Water Quality Objectives

Fully Developed and Specific to the EKATI Mine

• Chloride
• Molybdenum
• Nitrate
• Potassium
• Sulphate
• Vanadium
• All have been 3rd Party reviewed
• Reviews generally supportive

WLWB Water Licence Renewal Public Hearing February 12-13, 2013 Slide 13

Response to Interventions

Key EQC topics before the Board:

• Selecting EQC Parameters
• Chloride
• Nitrate
• Hardness-Dependent EQC
• Cujo Lake Dilution Zone
• Effluent Discharge Rates and Timing
• pH / Aluminum
• Selenium
• Response Framework

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Selecting EQC Parameters

Comment/Recommendation (AANDC)

• Should be set at levels reasonably achievable and incorporate best

practices

• SSWQOs as EQCs: “…maximum grab concentrations should be

based on SSWQOs…”

• EQCs for many variables

BHPB Response

• Proposed EQCs are reasonably achievable and incorporate best

practices

• SSWQOs should be used to determined average EQC concentrations
• BHP Billiton’s list of EQC variables is based on assessment of risk
• consistent with Board policy

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Chloride

Comment/Recommendation (IEMA / AANDC)

• Interim SSWQO and EQC
• IEMA says alternately use CCME WQG
• Immediate Action Plan

BHPB Response

• Chloride is not high risk and not appropriate as an EQC
• SSWQO was fully developed in 2008, now reviewed again
• Hardness relationship was based on the most sensitive

species

• Chloride is included in Response Framework

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Nitrate

Comment/Recommendation (DFO/EC / IEMA / AANDC)

• Interim SSWQO and EQC
• Nitrate risk as a nutrient
• Immediate Action Plan

BHPB Response

• Nitrate is not high risk and not appropriate as an EQC
• SSWQO is fully developed
• Technical reviews are generally supportive
• Nitrate is included in Response Framework

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Hardness-Dependent EQC

Comment/Recommendation (DFO/EC / IEMA / AANDC)

• AANDC suggests 40mg/L hardness (Koala watershed)
• AANDC also implies using only background hardness
• IEMA and DFO/EC’s suggestions for nitrate equate to 95 mg/L and

115 mg/L (IEMA only) hardness BHPB Response

• Using actual hardness in the effluent and receiving environment is

protective, and respects the hardness-toxicity relationship

• Hardness-based EQC written into a licence is enforceable
• CCME supports hardness-dependent WQGs

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Hardness Dependent EQC

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Hardness (mg/L) EQC (mg/L NO2-N)

<20 2.3 20-40 4.4 40-60 6.5 60-80 8.5 80-100 10.5 100-120 12.5 120-140 14.5 140-160 16.5 >160 16.5

Conceptual Example of Hardness-Based EQC for Water Licence

Maximum SSWQO Value

Cujo Lake Dilution Zone

Comment/Recommendation (IEMA / DFO/EC / AANDC)

• Further study required on plume modeling
• Minimize dilution zone
• No whole lake as dilution zone

BHPB Response

• A discreet mixing zone in such a small lake is unrealistic
• Further study of Cujo Lake would not provide new information
• Historic use of Cujo Lake as a dilution zone without adverse

effects

WLWB Water Licence Renewal Public Hearing February 12-13, 2013 Slide 20

King Cujo Watershed – Streams and Lakes

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Effluent Discharge Rates and Timing

Comment / Recommendation (AANDC)

• Regulate loading and/or maximum volume
• Manage around short term peaks in KPSF
• Open water period only

BHPB Response

• Environment protected by focusing on concentrations not

loadings

• Water quality in KPSF is not anticipated to change
• Same mining and water management activities
• Transitory peaks will occur
• Could not effectively or safely operate the mine with only open

water period discharge

WLWB Water Licence Renewal Public Hearing February 12-13, 2013 Slide 22

pH / Aluminum

Comment/Recommendation (DFO/EC)

• Change the pH range to 6.0 to 8.0

BHPB Response

• Current EQC range (6.0 to 9.0) is protective
• CCME WQG for pH is 6.5 – 9.0
• Recent data show pH just above 8.0 in receiving environment
• Special Study on Aluminum proposed

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Selenium

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Comment/Recommendation (DFO/EC / IEMA)

• Benchmark based on tissue
• Selenium should be a regulated parameter/EQC

BHPB Response

• Agree that benchmark based on tissue
• Selenium is managed under the Response Framework
• Selenium is not appropriate as an EQC

Response Framework

Comment/Recommendation (DFO/EC / IEMA / AANDC)

• Action Levels
• Location in AEMP Section of WL
• Proposed wording for WL

BHPB Response

• Recommend proposed wording in application
• Details to be specified in the Response Framework, to be

approved by the Board

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Response to Interventions

Other topics before the Board:

• Sampling in Lac de Gras
• Air Quality

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Sampling in Lac de Gras

Comment/Recommendation (NSMA / YKDFN)

• Cumulative effects in Lac de Gras
• Increased sampling in Lac de Gras

BHPB Response

• Inappropriate for one mine operation to assess another
• Extra sampling planned for 2013 AEMP

WLWB Water Licence Renewal Public Hearing February 12-13, 2013 Slide 27

Air Quality

Comment/Recommendation (DFO/EC / YKDFN / NSMA)

• Incineration Management Plan
• Stack Emission Testing
• Special Effects Study fish tissue
• Dioxins & furans

BHPB Response

• WL is not appropriate regulatory instrument for air
• Managed under Environment Agreement including discussions

with GNWT, EC and IEMA

• In process of developing Incinerator Management Plan
• Plans to conduct Stack testing
• Results of fish testing (EROD) to be reported in 2012 AEMP
• Recommendations will follow

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Conclusion

• Significant new work on producing six SSWQOs
• All have been reviewed
• EQC’s and Response Framework proposed
• Consistent with Board’s Policy
• Open and transparent approach
• No reason for Interim decisions
• Draft Licence not a place for new comments

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