WWF-Canada applauds decision by Nunavut Impact Review Board to halt Kiggavik uranium mine
NIRB refusal to “pre-approve” mining project supported by multiple community groups
Iqaluit (May 11, 2015) – WWF-Canada supports the decision by the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) to say no to a uranium mine development at Kiggavik that has no set start date.
On May 8 the NIRB said that because AREVA Resources Canada Inc. cannot provide a definite start date or development schedule for the project, an accurate assessment of future environmental and social impacts is not possible at this time.
In other words, questions still remain as to whether or not this project would enhance and protect the existing and future well-being of the residents and communities of the Nunavut Settlement Area.
“The NIRB decision gives us confidence, once again, that the regulatory process is working as it should. The NIRB decision is the right decision considering all the factors,” says Paul Crowley, VP Arctic, WWF-Canada. “It is the right signal for the NIRB to refuse to “pre-approve” projects that have no start date.”
It was determined by the NIRB that pre-approving the project would adversely affect the weight and confidence which it could give to assessments of future ecosystemic and socio-economic effects. Overall, the complete lack of scientific evidence does not support long-term economic, social and cultural interests of Inuit and Nunavummiut.
There is a noted lack of scientific certainty about population health of caribou herds in the Kivalliq region, or about fish and marine wildlife populations of significance to the communities of Nunavut Settlement Area.
One thing that is certain, is that the Kiggavik mine would open the area to other mining developments. One of the major concerns for the Baker Lake Hunters and Trappers Organization and other intervenor groups is the additional development that the mine would create. The Kiggavik area is surrounded by other uranium exploration programs. If Kiggavik is approved, it could be the first step in the creation of a uranium mining agglomeration economy in the Baker Lake area, leading to massive networks of roads, open pits, tailing impoundment facilities, and radioactive waste rock piles across the tundra.
As noted, the development would add significant stress to several major caribou herds that reside in the region in the summer months. The Kivalliq Wildlife Board also opposed the project. (The Government of Nunavut declared a moratorium on caribou harvesting on nearby Baffin Island, January 2015.)
“WWF-Canada applauds the NIRB taking a precautionary approach in view of the lack of scientific certainty regarding impacts on caribou and other wildlife,” says WWF-Canada CEO and President, David Miller. “The region is used by the Qamanirjuaq caribou herd. It is also important habitat for muskox, Tundra grizzlies, wolverine, wolf, and other terrestrial wildlife.”
The NIRB has now given its recommendation to the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
However, this does not rule out the possibility of uranium mine in the future. AREVA has said that they want to develop Kiggavik only after market conditions improve.
WWF-Canada supports the NIRB and agrees that before any development happens, measures need to be put in place to manage cumulative effects such as securing much more robust scientific baseline information that will allow for the serious monitoring that uranium mining, with its multi-generational impacts, requires.
For further information contact:
Tammy Thorne, Senior Communications Manager, WWF-Canada, [email protected] c: 416-347-1894
About WWF
WWF-Canada is part of WWF (World Wildlife Fund), one of the world’s largest and most respected conservation organizations. With the active support of over 250,000 Canadians, WWF-Canada has close to 50 years of experience implementing science-based knowledge and research into on-the-ground projects. WWF is creating solutions to the most serious conservation challenges facing our planet, helping people and nature thrive. Visit wwf.ca for more information.