Keeping gold mine operations in compliance with environmental requirements

Greenstone Mine Environmental and Permitting Support

Greenstone Gold Mines (GGM) celebrated their first gold pour at the Greenstone Mine on May 22, 2024. The mine is on track to produce an average of 330,000 ounces (9,440,391 grams) of gold per year for its 15-year life and is one of Canada’s largest gold mines.

When GGM wanted to establish this new open-pit gold mine, they brought us in to manage preparation of a coordinated federal-provincial environmental assessment and related studies. This included developing provincial terms of reference and a federal project description, draft and final environmental impact statement/environmental assessment (EIS/EA), and technical reports. We received positive decision statements from federal and provincial governments on the EIS/EA.

Our traditional knowledge (TK) team integrated TK and the results of a client-led Indigenous engagement program into the design and execution of the EIS/EA. This included culturally important areas, species and habitats of interest, mitigation measures, and suggested monitoring.

We then supported GGM through the permitting and approval process for construction and operations. This included applications and technical studies for waste, industrial sewage works, and air and noise environmental compliance approvals, permits to take water, and applications and studies under the Lakes and River Improvement Act, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and Aggregate Resources Act.

We have also served as the qualified professional for the environmental, permitting, and reclamation sections of the National Instrument 43-101 technical feasibility reports. In this role, we completed two closure plan amendments under the Mining Act and two amendments through the provincial Environmental Assessment Act and federal Impact Assessment Act.

To support GGM with compliance and validating the EIS/EA, we developed a series of environmental management and monitoring plans. We’re continuing to support GGM with compliance reporting and monitoring as well as amendments to permits and approvals during mine operations.