Apr 24 2018
First Mining Gold Corp. (“First Mining” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Voluntary Agreement (“VA”) with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change in Ontario (the “MOECC”) to complete certain requirements under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (the “EAA”). This marks the commencement of a Provincial Individual Environmental Assessment (“Provincial EA”) for the Company’s Springpole Gold Project (“Springpole” or the “Project”), located in northwestern Ontario.
Jeff Swinoga, President & Chief Executive Officer of First Mining, stated “We believe Springpole has the potential to become one of Canada’s largest producing gold mines. With permitting for an access road to the Project site now well underway and having already commenced the Federal Environmental Assessment process, we are very pleased to initiate the Provincial Environmental Assessment process in Ontario. Both EAs can now progress simultaneously. These two EA processes mark the first major steps toward permitting Springpole. Our very experienced team, with our values-based culture, looks forward to working diligently and respectfully with all Indigenous and other stakeholders throughout the Federal and Provincial EA processes.”
First Mining will now prepare the Provincial EA to satisfy the EAA requirements for all components of the Project that are subject to the EAA under the VA. The first step of the process is to prepare the Terms of Reference (“ToR”) for the Provincial EA for Springpole. The ToR will describe the scope of the EA and how First Mining intends to undertake all aspects of the Provincial EA, including consultation efforts with Indigenous communities and all other stakeholders.
If approved by the MOECC, the ToR will set out First Mining’s framework and work plan for addressing the EAA requirements including the alternatives that will be considered, the environmental aspects that could be impacted by the Project, and the Indigenous and other stakeholder consultation activities that will be carried out during the process.
As previously announced by the Company on March 7, 2018, First Mining commenced the Federal EA process last month when its Project Description for Springpole was submitted to, and subsequently accepted by, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the “Agency”). The Agency has posted a summary of the Project Description on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry Internet Site (“CEARIS”) at http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/document-eng.cfm?document=121863. The Agency has determined that a Federal EA is required for Springpole, and has issued a “Notice of Determination” on the Registry site. The Agency will now prepare draft Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines (“EIS Guidelines”) for the Project and post these for public comment. Final EIS Guidelines will be issued following the expiry of the public comment period.
First Mining will continue to work with both the Agency and the MOECC to refine, as appropriate, a path forward to address both Federal and Provincial EA requirements, which will align with the Federal EIS Guidelines (once these have been approved by the Agency) and the Provincial ToR (once these have been approved by the MOECC). In addition, the Company plans to make every reasonable attempt to coordinate key milestone consultation activities and maximize opportunities for Indigenous groups and all other stakeholders to be effectively engaged. The Company expects to coordinate the submission of Federal and Provincial EIS/EA reports to the extent possible and practical in order to minimize duplication and increase efficiency during the two EA processes.