Pierre River Mine Project

GENERAL AENV SIRS 1 – 5
Question No. 2
Request Volume 1, Section 5, Page 5-10.
Section 10.1
Issues raised by the Community of Fort McMurray included adequate buffer
zones along the Athabasca River and wildlife impacts.
2a Provide further detail around the discussion held for these two issues.
Response 2a These two issues were identified at an Open House held in Fort McMurray on
May 1, 2008. This Open House was an open forum where community members
could circulate among various project exhibits and ask questions of Shell staff in
an informal atmosphere. Discussions regarding adequate buffers along the
Athabasca River have been general and have related to:
Question No. 3
• maintenance of river navigability
• access to the shoreline and visual impacts from the river
Concerns associated with wildlife have generally focused on:
• impacts to sport wildlife populations
• changes to public access in areas used for hunting and trapping
Request Volume 1, Section 4, Page 4-2; Volume 1, Section 4, Figure 3-2, Page 3-7.
Shell describes the additional project components of two Class II landfills to be
located adjacent to the plant site. One of these landfills is planned for the
southeast corner of the plant site and appears to be approximately 250 m from
the Athabasca River at its closest point.
3a Given the toxicity of various waste categories planned for this site (e.g.,
asphaltene fired boiler and co-generation fly ash and bottom ash, contaminated
debris and soils), discuss the rationale behind locating this landfill close to the
Athabasca River. Describe how the potential for contamination of the river over
time was considered during the planning process.
Response 3a The original basis for landfill placement was to allocate enough area while
minimizing ore sterilization and maintaining the required 250 m river corridor.
Further work has since been carried out regarding one of the two proposed
locations of the Class II landfill. From an ore sterilization and river proximity
perspective, the easternmost landfill is now proposed to be located within the
north overburden disposal area footprint (see Figure AENV 3-1). Any potential
contamination from the landfill will be managed in accordance with Alberta
Environment’s Code of Practice for Landfills.
10-2 Shell Canada Limited April 2010
CR029