BREAKING: Valcourt exempts Nunavut iron mine expansion from NPC – Nunatsiaq Online
July 14, 2015
Minister says yes to Baffinland, sends Mary River Phase 2 proposal to the NIRB
Bernard Valcourt, the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, has sided with Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. in its dispute with the Nunavut Planning Commission.
In a letter dated July 13, Valcourt exempted Baffinland’s ambitious “Phase 2” proposal for the expansion of iron production and shipping of ore out of Milne Inlet from the North Baffin Regional Land Use Plan.
At the same time, he referred the proposal directly to the Nunavut Impact Review Board.
This follows a decision by the NPC this past April that rejected Baffinland’s proposal to ship up to 12 million metric tons of iron ore from Milne Inlet to Europe for 10 months each year.
