061211-Environmental Screening Report-IMAE.pdf - nirb

program objectives with the minimum possible impact on the environment. All proposedfacilities and equipment are temporary in nature, and all contactor equipment is planned tobe demobilized at the end of the program. Extraction and transportation of a larger bulksample is not recommended.2.5.3 Project Component 2 - Explosives UseDrilling and blasting is proposed for extraction of the bulk sample. The blasting will notoccur adjacent to any fish habitat or raptor habitat. Explosive use (powder factor) has beenminimized to reduce damage to the lump ore.The ore at Deposit No. 1 outcrops so some broken ore is available at the surface to berecovered without blasting, however most of the exposed ore is weathered and highlyoxidized, and therefore not representative of the freshly mineralized ore that makes upmost of the deposit. The outcrop is also not sufficiently broken up to yield the full 250,000 tsample without blasting additional ore.In order to be representative of the long term product that will be shipped, and in order toaccurately determine the moisture content and lump ore proportion anticipated over the lifeof the mine, it is necessary to extract the sample using techniques that are typical of theproduction operations. Blasting is therefore required. There are no known alternatives toblasting, considering the observed high competency rock conditions; ripping or directdigging are not viable options.It is recommended that conventional drilling and blasting techniques be used to extract thebulk sample. There are no known, viable alternatives to the use of explosives in thisapplication.2.5.4 Project Component 3 - CrushingA conventional portable crusher and screening system are proposed. In order to berepresentative of the long term product that will be shipped, and in order to accuratelydetermine moisture content and lump ore proportion anticipated over the life of the mine, itwill be necessary to extract the sample using techniques that are typical of the productionoperations. The crusher is a temporary facility that requires only a gravel pad as a basefoundation, and can be demobilized after completion of the sample.Crushing at Milne Inlet instead of at Mary River is not recommended as this will increasethe footprint of the operation at Milne and require the grading of additional areas andadditional gravel use.Crushing the ore at the customer destination is not possible as the trucks, barge loadingsystems and ship loading systems are not mechanically suitable for handling run-of-minerock of considerable size. As well, unless the ore is crushed, stockpiled and transported inPage 9 of 169NB102-00181/6-1Revision 0November 20, 2006