An iron ore mine’s expansion in the Arctic that would have shown growth in shipping and led to the “complete extirpation of narwhal” from the region has been blocked.
Four years of consultations and deliberations led the Nunavut Impact Review Board to reject a plea from Baffinland Iron Mines Corp demanding to increase mining on the northern tip of Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada significantly. This area is home to one of the world’s biggest iron ore deposits and the most congested narwhal population globally.
Chris Debicki said that “I actually cried,.”He is the vice-president and counsel at the conservation organization Oceans North. “The case against expansion at this moment was too strong and community opposition was too loud.”
On Friday, the review board made a statement declaring that the Mary River mine expansion project carried the potential for “significant and lasting negative effects on marine mammals, the marine environment, fish, caribou, and other terrestrial wildlife, vegetation, and freshwater.”
“In the Board’s view, these negative effects could also impact Inuit harvesting, culture, land use and food security,” it said.
The final decision about the future mine operations rests in the hand of the federal government. A lot of supporters wanted the expansion because it came with the contract of royalties and jobs.
But Debicki said the review board’s rejection was necessary.
He said that “This iron ore deposit is one of the best in the world because of its high concentration.”
“The reality is that there’ll be mining in this region not for tens of years, but likely for hundreds of years, so it’s super important to get the development right at the outset.”