This is the final opportunity for the public to comment on potential impacts of a proposed Marathon-area palladium mine before the federal Environment Minister makes a final ruling on whether the development should proceed.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is inviting the public and Indigenous groups to comment on the potential federal environmental assessment conditions for Generation Mining's open-pit project, located 10 kilometres north of the Marathon.
The development has been undergoing a special review process through a government-appointed joint federal and provincial environmental panel to allow the public, Indigenous communities and government officials to have their say on the environmental and socio-economic impact of the mine.
The deadline to submit comments is midnight Oct. 23. All comments will be published online as part of the project file. People can have their say by visiting the project home page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry.
Those who wish to provide their input in a different format can contact the agency by writing to IAAC.Conditions.AEIC@iaac-aeic.gc.ca.
The federal conditions in the document cover mitigative measures on the preservation and monitoring of fish and wildlife activity and habitat, curbing of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing and respecteng impacts ib the land for area Indigenous people, and implementing measures to protect species at risk around the project site.
IACC said once the deadline has passed, the federal minister will consider the public comments as well as the comments from the Joint Review Panel Report to determine whether the project is likely to cause a negative environment impact to the area, even with mitigation measures taken into account.
These final federal environmental assessment conditions would become legally-binding for Generation Mining if the minister of environment and climate change issues a decision statement indicating the project may proceed.
