Big Arctic developments – dispatch from our man in Iqaluit

Greetings from Iqaluit, several days into an intense round of public hearings into the largest industrial development ever to be contemplated in the Canadian Arctic.  The hearings are led by the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB), and are focused on the Mary River project, a proposed iron ore mine located on North Baffin Island, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut.  The proponent, Baffinland, proposes to mine 18 million tons per year of high grade iron ore from the reserve deposit, transport it by a purpose-built railway to a new port to be constructed at Steensby Inlet, and ship the ore on a year-round basis through Foxe Basin and Hudson Strait to markets in Europe.

This map from the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Mary River iron mine shows how shipping routes around Baffin Island may look in the future when the mine starts operations.

As with any large project, there will be impacts on wildlife, especially on marine mammals, migratory birds and fish.  Impacts or potential impacts would be caused by changes to sea ice and associated habitat, habitat disturbance, ship noise, collisions with whales, air pollution, and discharges into the water, whether deliberate (e.g. ballast water) or accidental (e.g. oil spills).  There would also be significant benefits to people and communities in the region, with an infusion of employment and revenues to a region that is in pressing need of both.

Bowhead whale at Isabella Bay, also known as Niginganiq, Nunavut, Canada. © Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Stock / WWF-Canada

Managed properly, this project could become a benchmark for appropriate industrial development in the Arctic.  The significant challenge facing NIRB is how to set the appropriate conditions to make this aspiration a reality.  They have no shortage of advice – over the past days there have been thoughtful presentations from a variety of intervenors, including the Qikitani Inuit Association, the Government of Nunavut and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to name just a few.

Mr. Akumalik Sr., an Inuit elder, in the Inuit community of Arctic Bay (also known as Ikpiarjuk) with a paddle he carved in an hour from a piece of wood, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. © Peter Ewins / WWF-Canada

So far, I’ve been mostly listening, and learning.  Wednesday was a long day, with the formal session stretching out to 10:30pm. Although there are detailed written submissions, the oral presentations are helpful because they typically focus on providing a good summary of the more detailed technical submissions.  And it’s especially interesting to hear the questions that get raised.

A Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying above a cargo ship and boats in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. © WWF-Canada / Chad Graham

 
So far, the major concerns have largely focused on shipping impacts, and that’s not surprising, since this project would bring well over 250 ship transits per year to Foxe Basin, a region that to date has seen almost no commercial ship traffic.  Based on yesterday’s presentations and questions, the top two “trending” concerns are over ship noise and the treatment of ballast water.  Ship noise is an issue since the whales in the region – including narwhal, beluga and the mighty bowhead – have been observed to respond to ship noise from distances greater than 35km.  Will whales simply adapt to the noise, or will this new stressor impact negatively on their feeding, mating or social interaction patterns?  There’s an urgent need to improve the baseline information, without which it’s not possible to accurately assess the impacts of any massive increase in ship traffic.
Another concern that was repeatedly raised throughout the day is the issue of ballast water.  All those empty ore carriers will need to carry ballast water, and they’ll dump about 17 million cubic meters per year into the waters of Steensby Inlet before they take on a load or ore.  This ballast water may affect the temperature and salinity of the bay, and could introduce new and possibly invasive species into the region.  International regulations are moving towards requirements to sterilize ballast water before it is dumped, but those treatment methods could discharge chlorine or other chemicals into the bay.
I’d better stop writing now – a new day of hearings is about to begin again.  But stay tuned; this is an important set of hearings into one of the largest industrial developments contemplated in Canada in the coming decade.