Pierre River Mine Project

EPEA APPROVALS AENV SIRS 90 – 96
Question No. 92
Section 15.1
mineral materials until as late as possible in the development area, as more than
twice the volume of peat is available within the Pierre River Mine development
footprint as is required for closure and reclamation plans. Since the submittal of
the Closure, Conservation and Reclamation (C,C&R) plan for the Pierre River
Mine in 2007, further discussions with Alberta Environment and Alberta
Sustainable Resource Development regarding methods of salvaging peat-mineral
material, such as focusing salvage on the top 1 m of deeper peat areas, might
alter the start date of salvage activities. This will be detailed in operational
C,C&R plans.
Activities, including access roads and bridge construction, will be underway by
2011, and drainage of muskeg areas for plant site development will be underway
by 2014. Reclamation material stockpile (RMS) areas will be created to store
salvaged soils for reclamation activities, as shown in the C,C&R Plan for the
Pierre River Mine (see Project Description, Volume 2, Section 20) and as further
detailed in operational plans pending project approval.
Request EIA Volume 2, Section 20.2, Tables 20-4 and 20-5, Page 20-9.
The table indicates that no reclamation will occur for 20 years (2010-2029).
92a Explain why there are no opportunities for earlier reclamation to occur.
Response 92a The proposed Pierre River Mine plan progression figures provided in EIA,
Volume 5, Appendix 5-2 (and provided in a truncated version in EIA, Volume 2,
Section 20) demonstrate that, between 2010 and 2029, all areas of the mine
development area that are disturbed are still in active operation. By 2019, the
mine development area is occupied by the plant site (active bitumen recovery
status), the north overburden disposal area (first lift not yet completed) and the
pit floor has been reached in 2018 in the first section of Cell 1 (active bitumen
recovery status). By 2029, the plant site is still active, overburden from the Cell 1
pit has been largely directed to in-pit dykes and the external tailings disposal area
(active bitumen recovery status) and the north overburden dump disposal area is
still completing the first lift. Table 20-4 and 20-5 in the Project Description,
Volume 2, Section 20.2 note that reclamation material volumes after 2019 are
aggregated into 10 year blocks. Therefore, reclamation started between 2029 and
2039 is aggregated into the 2039 volumes.
If opportunities become available, earlier reclamation of the active mine
development structures will be detailed within closure and reclamation plans
submitted as a requirement of an Environmental Protection and Enhancement
Act approval for the Pierre River Mine Project.
15-2 Shell Canada Limited April 2010
CR029