Joint Review Panel Invites Public Comments on Environmental Impact Statement Addendum Received from Generation PGM Inc.

OTTAWA, ON, April 19, 2021 /CNW/ - The Joint Review Panel (the Panel) conducting the environmental assessment for the proposed Marathon Palladium Project is announcing the receipt of the amended environmental impact statement (EIS Addendum) from Generation PGM Inc. (GenPGM).

GenPGM submitted the EIS Addendum in two parts. On January 7, 2021, the Panel received Volume 1 of the EIS Addendum containing chapters 1-4. The remaining chapters of the EIS Addendum were submitted to the Panel as Volume 2 on April 16, 2021. The EIS Addendum provides an analysis of the potential environmental effects of the proposed project and measures to mitigate those effects.

Now that the complete EIS Addendum has been submitted, the Panel invites the public to comment on the EIS Addendum. The Panel is providing a 70-day public comment period to give members of the public, Indigenous groups, governments and other participants an opportunity to submit their views in writing to the Panel on the sufficiency and technical merit of the EIS Addendum, as measured against the EIS Guidelines.

The Panel will consider all comments received in making its determination on whether further information is required from the Proponent.

The Panel must receive all comments by June 27, 2021. All comments received on GenPGM's EIS Addendum and supporting documents will be considered public and will be posted to the registry.

Written comments in either official language should be emailed to [email protected].

Two documents have been prepared to assist participants in reviewing the information and submitting comments. They can be found on the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's online public registry (the registry), reference # 54755.

1. A compilation of key documents, including the EIS Addendum and all Information Request and responses from the Proponent.
   
   
2. A resource document to guide participants in how they can prepare their written submissions.

Next Steps

According to its Terms of Reference, the Panel must determine if the EIS 2012 and EIS Addendum (2021) provided by GenPGM contains sufficient information to proceed to a public hearing. If the Panel is of the opinion that there is not sufficient information available for the purpose of conducting the environmental assessment, it will request additional information or studies.

The Panel recognizes that it is more challenging to undertake meaningful public engagement in light of the circumstances arising from COVID-19. The Panel continues to assess the situation to adjust public engagement activities, as necessary and provide flexibility as needed in order to prioritize the health and safety of participants. 

SOURCE Impact Assessment Agency of Canada