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A letter from a Dogrib community member to BHP expressing concerns about unfulfilled promises regarding employment and training, low wages, gender pay inequality, environmental protection, and land restoration following mining operations.
BHP's Additional Information Response to Part C of the NWT Diamonds Project Environmental Impact Statement addresses 17 panel questions and information gaps identified during the EIS review, covering spillway functions, water flow patterns, wildlife management, off-road vehicle policies, employment and socio-economic impacts, chemical effects of flocculants and ferrosilicon, and various technical clarifications on mine operations and closure.
This 1995 baseline bird survey report documents the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of 60 bird species (including 37 confirmed breeders) across the 1,900 km² NWT Diamonds Project study area around Lac de Gras. Nearly 19,000 birds were recorded during aerial and ground surveys from May to October 1995, with notable findings including over 10,000 geese during spring migration, 37 waterfowl breeding pairs, and 19 occupied raptor territories.
Management North Limited submits a letter to the BHP Diamond Mine Environmental Assessment Panel supporting approval of the BHP diamond mining project, arguing that the North urgently needs non-renewable resource development to address economic hardship and employment needs. The letter contextualizes this position within the North's history of managing resource development since the Berger Inquiry and emphasizes the balance between economic benefits and manageable environmental impacts.
This 1995 baseline study documents eskers, carnivore distributions, and grizzly bear habitat use in the Lac de Gras area for the NWT Diamonds Project. Twenty-three grizzly bears were radio-collared to track movements and habitat preferences, while ground surveys identified 75 carnivore dens across major eskers and assessed food habits and ecosystem use.
This document is BHP Billiton's December 1995 response to the panel's request for additional information on monitoring programs for the NWT Diamonds Project (Ekati), detailing adaptive management criteria, thresholds, and monitoring sensitivity for water, land, air, wildlife, and socioeconomic parameters, along with establishing an independent Environmental Advisory Group. The second section (dated March 2004) presents Rescan Environmental Services' proposal to update the EKATI air dispersion model using ISC3, incorporating current meteorological data, terrain, emissions inventories, and cumulative effects assessment with the Diavik mine.
This 1995 baseline study documents eskers, carnivores (foxes, wolves, wolverines), and grizzly bears in the Lac de Gras area of the NWT Diamonds Project. The report presents results from extensive field surveys including 75 total carnivore dens located, 23 collared grizzly bears tracked to determine habitat use and movement patterns, and analysis of carnivore food habits and important denning habitats for wildlife management and impact assessment.
This 1995 baseline study documents the occurrence, movements, and distribution of caribou within the Lac de Gras area (1,900 km²) during spring, summer, and fall migration periods, with aerial survey data collected to establish pre-development baseline conditions for the proposed NWT Diamonds project. The study tracks caribou use of major travel corridors including the north shore of Lac de Gras and esker systems, identifies seasonal habitat preferences, and notes the absence of calving and rutting behavior within the study area during the monitoring period.
This document is the proponent's detailed response to regulatory panel requests for information on environmental and socioeconomic monitoring programs for the NWT Diamonds Project. It outlines comprehensive monitoring plans for water quality, wildlife, air, land, permafrost, and socioeconomic parameters; describes the establishment of an independent Environmental Advisory Group; and addresses post-closure monitoring commitments and adaptive management thresholds.
This 1995 baseline study documents caribou occurrence, movements, and distribution within the Lac de Gras study area (1,900 km²) from spring through fall migration, providing baseline data prior to diamond mine development. Aerial surveys tracked caribou using major migration corridors along the north shore of Lac de Gras and esker systems, with spring migration involving primarily cows in groups of 11–50 individuals, sparse summer presence, and concentrated late summer and fall populations using wetlands.
BHP Diamonds Inc. conducted a 1995 baseline small mammal inventory and habitat assessment at the NWT Diamonds Project area near Lac de Gras from August 14 to September 12, 1995, trapping 175 specimens across seven traplines and identifying three microtine species with habitat associations and relative abundance data.
This document is a response to panel questions regarding the assessment methodology for impact significance in the NWT Diamonds Project Environmental Impact Statement. It explains how six impact attributes (geographic extent, duration/frequency, reversibility, ecological/social context, probability, and future resource capacity) were integrated into a two-dimensional significance matrix based primarily on spatial and temporal criteria to classify residual environmental effects as major, moderate, minor, or negligible.
This technical report documents baseline information on eskers in the NWT Diamonds Project area, including their geologic features, physical effects of exploration activities, biological importance to wildlife (caribou, bears, wolves, foxes, birds, small mammals), and traditional archaeological and cultural significance to Dene and Inuit peoples. The report addresses quarrying plans for the Airstrip Esker and Lac du Sauvage Esker as sources of construction materials and analyzes potential impacts on wildlife corridors and carnivore denning habitats.
BHP Diamonds Inc. conducted a 1995 baseline ecological mapping study of the 190,000-hectare NWT Diamonds Project area near Lac de Gras, classifying 11 tundra ecosystem types and assessing their sensitivity to development impacts. The report provides integrated terrain and vegetation maps, wildlife habitat capability assessments for geese, caribou and grizzly bears, and evaluations of ecosystem vulnerability to vehicular traffic and air quality impacts.
This document provides additional information on the significance of the land-based economy and traditional food harvesting in the Northwest Territories, responding to panel requests for baseline data on country food's cultural, nutritional, and economic importance to Aboriginal households in the context of the NWT Diamonds Project.
Dogrib Treaty 11 Council submits detailed comments on BHP's Environmental Impact Statement for the NWT Diamonds Project, identifying areas of non-compliance with EARP Panel Guidelines, particularly regarding inadequate incorporation of traditional knowledge, insufficient baseline data on wildlife and caribou, incomplete management plans, and superficial treatment of socio-economic impacts on Dogrib communities.
The Dogrib Treaty 11 Council submits detailed comments on BHP's Environmental Impact Statement for the NWT Diamonds Project, identifying deficiencies in conformity with EARP Panel Guidelines, particularly regarding insufficient integration of traditional knowledge, inadequate wildlife and habitat baseline data, incomplete assessment of socio-economic impacts on Dogrib communities, and gaps in management plans for wildlife, fisheries, and emergency response.
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. submits a detailed critique of BHP's Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed diamond mine at Lac de Gras, arguing the EIS is deficient in water quality analysis, post-closure monitoring plans, and consultation with Kitikmeot Inuit regarding land claims and compensation agreements under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
The Government of the Northwest Territories' conformity review of the BHP NWT Diamonds Project Environmental Impact Statement, identifying major deficiencies in traditional knowledge integration, environmental management plans, spatial boundaries, wildlife assessment, socio-economic impacts, and monitoring programs, while concluding that the EIS can be brought into compliance relatively quickly through additional analysis and field work results.
The Yellowknives Dene First Nation submits their formal response to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the BHP-DiaMet Ekati Diamond Mine project near Lac de Gras, detailing major concerns about inadequate treatment of traditional knowledge, insufficient baseline data, lack of cumulative impact assessment, and misrepresentation of the First Nation's social, economic, and political circumstances in the document prepared for the EARP Panel review.