Strange Lake Rare Earth Mining Project - Public Comments Invited on the Summary of the Initial Project Description

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 6, 2023 /CNW/ -

What is happening? 

Torngat Metals Ltd. is proposing an open-pit rare earth mine located northeast of Schefferville, in Quebec. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) invites Indigenous Peoples and the public to review the summary of the Initial Project Description and provide comments on the proposed project. This feedback will help the Agency prepare a summary of issues and decide whether the project should undergo an impact assessment. 

The Agency is collaborating with the Nunatsiavut Government and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador as part of the impact assessment process for this project. Comments received during the comment period will therefore be shared among the three jurisdictions.

How can I participate?

Comments can be submitted online by visiting the project home page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 85969). The summary of the Initial Project Description is also available on the Registry. Participants who wish to provide their input in a different format can contact the Agency by writing to [email protected].

Submit your comments online in either official language by December 4, 2023, at 11:59 PM. All comments received will be published online as part of the project file.

Participant funding will be available to eligible participants during this comment period and details will be announced shortly on the Registry. The Agency will retroactively reimburse eligible participants for their participation in this first comment period.

Virtual Information Sessions

The Agency invites Indigenous Peoples and the public to attend a virtual information session via Zoom to learn more about the project, the impact assessment process, and how to submit comments on the summary of the Initial Project Description.

English Sessions

• Monday, October 30, 2023, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET)
• Thursday, November 2, 2023, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)

French Sessions

• Monday, October 30, 2023, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
• Thursday, November 2, 2023, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ET)

For information on how to attend a session, please visit the project homepage on the Registry. If you have any questions, please contact the Agency using the project email above.

Will there be more opportunities to participate?

This is the first federal comment period for the project. If the Agency determines a federal impact assessment is required, Indigenous Peoples and the public will have additional opportunities to comment over the course of the impact assessment process.

Stay updated on this project by following the Agency on X (previously Twitter): @IAAC_AEIC #RareEarths

What is the proposed project?

Torngat Metals Ltd. is proposing the construction, operation and closure of an open-pit rare earth mine, located about 235 kilometres northeast of Schefferville, in Quebec. The mine would have a production capacity of up to 55,000 tonnes per day and a lifespan of 30 years. As proposed, the Strange Lake Rare Earth Mining Project would include at the mine site a 1,500-metre-long airstrip, a new metal mill with an ore input capacity of 17,000 tonnes per day, waste rock and tailings piles, and associated buildings. The proponent plans to build a seasonal road of about 160 kilometres between the mine site and the port of Voisey's Bay, on the Labrador coast. The rare earth concentrate would be transported by road and then by sea to a high purity separation plant in Sept-Îles.

SOURCE Impact Assessment Agency of Canada