Question Period Note: James Bay Lithium Mine Project

James Bay Lithium Mine Project

• Canadians expect the Government of Canada to take meaningful action to protect the environment while supporting economic growth, not just for today, but for future generations.
• The James Bay Lithium Mine Project (Project) is located on Eeyou Istchee, the traditional territory of the Crees of northern Quebec. The Government of Canada conducted a thorough environmental assessment of the Project jointly with the Cree Nation Government. This fruitful collaboration is ongoing in other project assessments and delivers on Canada's commitment to renewing relationships with Indigenous peoples.
• On Monday January 16th, the Government of Canada approved the Project. The Proponent, Galaxy Lithium Canada, must now comply with legally binding conditions throughout the life of the project, assuring the protection of fish and water bodies, migratory birds, wetlands, species at risk, the health of the Cree and their use of lands and resources for their traditional purposes.
• The Project will produce lithium, which is key for clean technology like electric vehicle batteries and solar panels.

• Galaxy Lithium (Canada) Inc. is planning the construction of an open pit lithium mine in the Nord-du-Québec administrative region, on the James Bay Eeyou Istchee territory and the traditional lands of the Eastmain Cree Nation. The mine site would be located approximately ten kilometers south of the Eastmain River and 100 kilometers east of James Bay and the village of Eastmain Cree Nation.

• The project would include an open pit, stockpile areas for ore, waste rock, tailings and overburden, a spodumene concentrator, and mine water management facilities including a water treatment plant.

• The mine would have an ore production capacity of 5,480 tonnes per day. The proponent plans to mine the deposit for 18.5 years, with an average annual production of 331 kilotonnes of spodumene concentrate, which would be mined and exported overseas for processing into lithium.

• The project would require 280 workers during construction and an annual average of 167 workers during operation of the mine. Direct employment and contracts obtained by Cree companies will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of workers and Cree communities.

• The project site would be accessible by the Billy-Diamond road from Matagami. A fly-in/fly-out system would be preferred for non-resident workers, who would stay in a camp located in the industrial sector of the proposed mine.

• The Canadian Impact Assessment Agency (Agency) began the environmental assessment of the project in December 2017. On June 27, 2019, the Agency and the Cree Nation Government (CNG) signed an agreement to jointly conduct the remainder of the environmental assessment. The agreement led to the creation of a Joint Assessment Committee, comprised of representatives appointed by the Agency and the CNG to conduct the various activities related to the assessment. The agreement has allowed for greater Cree participation in the federal environmental assessment process and respects the spirit of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. This collaboration continues under the Impact Assessment Act for other projects in Cree territory.

• The Joint Agency-CNG Committee concluded that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects with the implementation of mitigation measures.

• Galaxy Lithium (Canada) Inc. must comply with 271 legally binding conditions throughout the life of the project. These conditions include measures to protect fish and fish habitat, migratory birds and birds at risk, wetlands, woodland caribou, bats at risk, Cree health, and current Cree use of lands and resources for traditional purposes.

• The joint Agency-CNG committee has determined that the project is not likely to cause residual adverse effects on the boreal woodland caribou population with the implementation of the recommended measures. In particular, the proponent must set up a joint working table with the Eastmain Cree Nation and the Crees of the Waskaganish First Nation to discuss caribou monitoring and establish a communication system to report the presence or signs of caribou near the project. The proponent will also have to develop an action plan in collaboration with the Cree Nation of Eastmain, the Cree Nation Government, and the local tallyman, in the event of the presence of caribou in the vicinity of the mine or on the ore transportation route.

• The joint Agency-CNG committee drafted the final report and conditions, taking into account the concerns and comments of the Cree Nation of Eastmain, the Crees of the Waskaganish First Nation, the Cree Nation of Waswanipi, and the public. It also took into account technical advice from Cree and federal government experts, including experts from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Transport Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Health Canada and the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay.

• The Minister of Environment and Climate Change approved the project on January 13, 2023. The Agency announced the decision on January 16, 2023.

• This project is also subject to a provincial environmental assessment by the Comité d’examen des repercussions sur l’environnement et le milieu social (COMEX), on which the CNG also sits. The COMEX has been made aware of the concerns raised by the Cree Nations during the consultations. It will conduct its final public consultations in early 2023. The recommendation of the COMEX on the project to the Provincial Administrator of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement could occur in the first quarter of 2023.

• The negotiation of an Impact Benefit Agreement between the proponent, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee), the CNG, and the community of Eastmain is still underway.

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