Question Period Note: Baffinland - Mary River Project

• Protecting the marine environment and marine mammals is a top priority which is why we are ensuring projects are thoroughly assessed.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been participating in the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s multi-agency review of the potential impacts of the Baffinland Phase 2 Development proposal.
• DFO is working alongside other stakeholders and Inuit organizations and communities to better understand the potential impacts.

• On March 4 2020, the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) issued its reconsideration report and recommendations to the Mary River Project Certificate for the Extension Request to the Production Increase Proposal. The extension would be valid until December 31, 2021 and would allow for the Environmental Assessment of Phase 2 of the Mary River Iron Ore Mine (the Project) to be completed.
• The original Production Increase Proposal, which was approved on September 30 2018, permitted Baffinland (the Proponent) to increase the extraction limit of iron ore to 6Mt/year until December 31 2019.
• On February 3, 2020, DFO submitted comments to the NIRB on the Proponent additional Extension Request to the Production Increase Proposal and on February 6, 2020 DFO provided technical comments to the NIRB on the Phase 2 environmental assessment review. The next steps will be for the NIRB conduct technical meetings on March 16-20, 2020, a community roundtable on March 23-24, 2020 as well as a pre-hearing conference on March 25 ,2020 for the Phase 2 assessment.
• In 2019, DFO-Science published three Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Science Responses regarding various documents provided by the Proponent to assess the impacts of the Project on marine and freshwater fish and fish habitat, including marine animals.
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• On August 23, 2018 the Proponent submitted their Final Environmental Impact Statement addendum for the Project. Phase 2 will include the construction and operation of a second ore dock capable of berthing Cape-size ore carriers, construction of the North Railway consisting of four bridges and 417 culverts, additional crossings along the Milne Inlet Tote Road, an increase up to 12 Mt/year of iron ore from the Project site and transportation of this ore via the North Railway to Milne Port and increased shipping activities through Milne Inlet to facilitate the transport of the increased ore.
• The Proponent intends to retain the current approvals for the construction and operation of the South Railway to Steensby Port and shipping activities including transport of up to 18 Mt of ore through Foxe Basin, as proposed and approved in 2012. Therefore a proposed total of 30 Mt/year of ore could be mined and transported from the Project site.
• On October 29, 2014 Baffinland submitted the Mary River Phase 2 Project proposal (Phase 2) for a further amendment to the Project to the Nunavut Planning Commission and the NIRB.
• The Mary River Iron Ore Mine is an iron ore mine operated by the Proponent located on Baffin Island, Nunavut. The project includes the construction, operation, closure, and reclamation of an open-pit mine, including marine shipping.

On The Science Response Report
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s most recent Science Response was published on October 31, 2019, based on the information and materials provided to the Department back in August 2019.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada will continue to provide science advice in support of the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s review as the proponent provides new information during this postponement.