From a press release
MOOSE RIVER: Atlantic Mining Nova Scotia Inc. (Atlantic Mining), a subsidiary of St Barbara Limited, is making rapid progress with reclamation activities at the now-closed Touquoy Gold Mine in Moose River.
The progress has been assisted by favorable weather conditions over the summer.
Between the start of June and the end of September 2024, Atlantic Mining will have spent approximately $7 million on reclamation activities at Touquoy.
Atlantic Mining is also pleased to announce it has reached an in-principle agreement with St Barbara Limited on financial support that it anticipates will allow the submission of the additional reclamation bond amount of $38.7 million during September 2024.
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The Industrial Approval recently issued by Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change for site reclamation contained unprecedented language that is vague and inconsistent with existing regulations on reclamation bonding and the progressive release of such bonds when work is completed by stage.
The vague language was also inconsistent with prior discussions with officials from the Geoscience and Mines Branch of the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables and cast doubt on the expected bond release process. This unnecessary and confusing departure from the regulations jeopardized and delayed Atlantic Mining’s ability to secure financing arrangements that had been underway.
However, late last week, the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables confirmed the Department’s jurisdiction over the majority of the reclamation bond and the progressive release decisions and that standard progressive release process will apply within its jurisdiction.
Relying on this information, Atlantic Mining was able to secure the financing agreement in principle.
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The reclamation works being carried out over the summer have included a major civil works project at the Tailings Management Facility, clearing and landscaping of several areas of the site (including parking lots, laydown areas and roadside areas).
Independent consultants are finalizing extensive work modelling lake hydrology and geochemistry, advancing the selection of the cover design for the Tailings Management Facility based on scientific input, and many other areas of detailed execution planning.
“Atlantic Mining is proud to be the first company to move a metal mine into full reclamation in the history of Nova Scotia.” said Andrew Strelein, Atlantic Mining Managing Director, in a release.
“All previous metal mine closures have moved to a state of indefinite care and maintenance rather than full closure and reclamation.”
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Atlantic Mining wishes to publicly correct certain incorrect and misleading statements made by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change in his appeal decision dated July 2nd, 2024, noting these statements have since been reported by various media outlets.
The statements, presumably made by the Minister on the advice of the Department of Environment and Climate Change include the following on page 4 of the decision:
“On February 12, 2024, AMNS [Atlantic Mining Nova Scotia] submitted an IA Application to reclaim the Touquoy Mine Site and proposed that reclamation activities would not start for at least three (3) years and that reclamation of the Tailings Management Facility (Tailings Management Facility), and Waste Rock Storage Area (Waste Rock Storage Area) would not start for at least another ten (10) years.”
These statements are incorrect and do not reflect the Reclamation Work Plan submitted with the IA Application.
The statement that reclamation activities would not start for at least three (3) years is clearly false, as significant work has been underway over this summer, including before the Minister’s appeal decision.
Atlantic Mining also did not propose that the reclamation of the Tailings Management Facility and the Waste Rock Storage Area would not start for at least another ten years.
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Indeed, some work is in progress already, while major parts of the work were clearly scheduled to start after three years. This timing is a function of science and physics given that the Tailings Management Facility contents first need to dry and compact sufficiently to allow heavy equipment to drive upon to deliver and place the rock to be transported from the Waste Rock Storage Area for the cover layer.
Atlantic Mining explained this fundamental principle of reclamation planning to the Department of Environment and Climate Change officers.
The submission by Atlantic Mining included a detailed Reclamation Work Plan that spelled out the staging of reclamation work, including the necessity to wait for the contents of the Tailings Management Facility to dry and compact.
With relatively high precipitation and the relatively low number of sunny or dry days in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Mining’s expert consultants estimated that it could take approximately three years for the facility to be ready for heavy equipment traffic.
The rate of progress will be monitored to confirm when this work can start safely and effectively.
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Atlantic Mining has started work and intends to continue with a well-planned, science-based reclamation of the Touquoy Gold Mine.
The reclamation is being designed by qualified professionals with leading global experience.
Atlantic Mining anticipated that there would be a learning curve as the government departments regulate their first metal mine reclamation, however it is not willing to accept incorrect statements leading to public misinformation.
Members of the public are welcome to contact communityrelations@stbarbara.ca to arrange a tour of the now closed Touquoy Gold Mine to see firsthand the progress being made on reclamation, the plans for the future reclamation and the steps taken to ensure that surrounding areas are not being adversely affected while reclamation activities occur.
