Nunavut Impact Review Board Rejects Proposed Baffinland Expansion

The Nunavut Impact Review board has recommended Baffinland's Phase 2 expansion not be allowed to proceed, according to CBC Canada.

In a letter to Dan Vandal, the federal northern affairs minister, Nunavut Impact Review Board chair Kaviq Kaluraq said the mine has the potential for "significant adverse ecosystemic effects" on marine mammals, fish, caribou and other wildlife, which in turn could harm Inuit culture, land use and food security. 

The long-awaited recommendation was released on Friday, after a four-year review process that pitted economic development against environmental protections and the sustainability of traditional hunting.

The Mary River mine has been operating on north Baffin Island since 2015 and is currently allowed to extract and ship up to six million tonnes of ore per year. Baffinland had requested to double its shipping of iron ore from its Milne Inlet port to 12 million tonnes a year, and build a 110-kilometre railway to the port.

The decision ultimately rests with Canadaian Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, who has previously said he will come to a decision within 90 days of NIRB's recommendation.