DeBeers looking to expand

DeBeers has filed its environmental assessment for a project that would expand production at its Victor diamond mine west of Attawapiskat.
According to a company press release, DeBeers has asked the federal minister of the environment to conduct a comprehensive environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act for its potential Tango Extension kimberlite deposit.
DeBeers said the announcement came after pre-consultation with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA), the government of Ontario and First Nations in the area.
The company has been exploring since 2008 the 15 kimberlite pipes that extend away from the main Victor deposit, where ongoing diamond mining takes place. It stated that the Tango Extension kimberlite, while smaller and of lower grade than Victor, offers the best potential to extend the life of the mining operation and the related economic benefits.
The environmental assessment process is expected to take two years. DeBeers said it will be done in parallel with community consultation, further baseline environmental studies, engineering and evaluation of the Tango Extension resource.
“If those activities prove favourable and are successfully concluded early in 2016, then DeBeers will request development approval from the board of directors,” the press release stated. “The target date to begin processing ore from Tango Extension kimberlite is in 2018, as the Victor ore body is forecast to be exhausted by that time.”
The company stated that it will be “actively seeking public input into, and support for, the environmental assessment process.”
The environmental assessment falls under the new Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, which was passed through parliament in 2012. Under the new act, only projects described under a regulations list are subject to environmental assessments, unless the federal environment minister designates a project for environmental assessment.
According to Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency spokesperson Celine Legault, diamond mines do not currently fall under the regulations list. Therefore, the federal environment minister has to designate the project to undergo environmental assessment for an EA to happen.
The government is considering adding diamond mines to the regulations list under the revised regulations, which are out for public comment right now, Legault said.