De Beers Canada Inc. - Environmental Compliance Approval (sewage)

Instrument type: Environmental Compliance Approval (sewage)

ERO number
019-7596
Ministry reference number
2174-CVFKQL
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
September 11, 2023 - October 26, 2023 (45 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
September 11, 2023
to October 26, 2023

Decision summary

We have issued an amendment to Environmental Compliance Approval No. 5131-CADPL5 for De Beers Canada Inc. for the proposed greywater treatment system servicing the closure of Victor Diamond Mine, located in the Unorganized District of Kenora, Ontario.

Location details

Site address

Kenora, ON
Canada

Site location details

Victor Diamond Mine
approximately 90 to 100 kilometers west of the First Nation community of Attawapiskat

Site location map

The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.

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Proponent(s)

De Beers Canada Inc.
1601 Airport Road Northeast
Unit 300
Calgary, AB
T2E 6Z8
Canada

Decision details

We have issued an amendment to Environmental Compliance Approval No. 5131-CADPL5 that was issued for the operation of two membrane bioreactor sewage treatment plants to treat wastewater at the De Beers Canada Inc. Victor Diamond Mine. The site is located approximately 90 to 100 kilometers west of the community of Attawapiskat in the District of Kenora, Ontario. The mine ceased operations in 2019 and has since been undergoing closure and rehabilitation of the site.

In order to demolish the buildings at the site, De Beers is proposing to operate a temporary, more mobile wastewater treatment system while the larger membrane bioreactor sewage treatment plants are being demolished. The following changes have been approved and incorporated into the existing Environmental Compliance Approval to facilitate the remainder of mine closure:

  • Operate a small greywater treatment plant (WETT-G system) that will accommodate a 50-person temporary work camp;
  • Change the discharge location of the effluent from the Fine Process Kimberlite Containment Facility to the Pit Lake, which is adjacent to the temporary work camp location; and
  • Modify the effluent water quality objectives to reflect the improved water quality expected from the greywater treatment system.

Comments received

Through the registry

0

By email

0

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Client Services and Permissions Branch
Address

135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

Office phone number

How to Appeal

This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from December 21, 2023 to begin the appeal process.

Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.

How to appealClick to Expand Accordion

Start the process to appeal

If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.

First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.

If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.

Seek leave to appeal

To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:

  1. prepare your application
  2. provide notice to the minister
  3. mail your application to three parties

1. Prepare your application

You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:

  1. A document that includes:
    • your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
    • the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
    • a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
    • your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
    • the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
    • whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
    • the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
    • the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
    • the outcome you’d like to see
  2. A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
  3. Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered

The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:

  1. is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
  2. could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?

2. Provide your notice

You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.

In your notice, please include a brief description of the:

  • decision that you wish to appeal
  • grounds for granting leave to appeal

You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:

College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3

3. Mail your application

You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:

  • appellate body
  • issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
  • proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)

Issuing authority
Fariha Pannu
Manager

Environmental Assessment and Permissions Branch
1st Floor, 135 St Clair Ave W
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

416-314-7092

Proponent(s)

De Beers Canada Inc.
1601 Airport Road Northeast
Unit 300
Calgary, AB
T2E 6Z8
Canada


Appellate body

Registrar, Ontario Land Tribunal
655 Bay Street, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca

About the Ontario Land Tribunal


Include the following:

ERO number
019-7596
Ministry reference number
2174-CVFKQL

This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.

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Original proposal

ERO number
019-7596
Ministry reference number
2174-CVFKQL
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Proposal posted

Comment period

September 11, 2023 - October 26, 2023 (45 days)

Proposal details

This proposal is for an amendment to Environmental Compliance Approval No. 5131-CADPL5 that allows for the operation of two membrane bioreactor sewage treatment plants to treat wastewater at the De Beers Canada Inc. Victor Diamond Mine. The site is located approximately 90 to 100 kilometers west of the community of Attawapiskat in the District of Kenora, Ontario. The mine ceased operations in 2019 and has since been undergoing closure and rehabilitation of the site.

In order to demolish the buildings at the site, De Beers is proposing to operate a temporary, more mobile wastewater treatment system while the larger membrane bioreactor sewage treatment plants are being demolished. The following changes are being proposed to the existing Environmental Compliance Approval to facilitate the remainder of mine closure:

  • Operate a small greywater treatment plant (WETT-G system) that will accommodate a 50-person temporary work camp;
  • Change the discharge location of the effluent from the Fine Process Kimberlite Containment Facility to the Pit Lake, which is adjacent to the temporary work camp location; and
  • Modify the effluent water quality objectives to reflect the improved water quality expected from the greywater treatment system.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Client Services and Permissions Branch
Address

135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

Office phone number

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from September 11, 2023
to October 26, 2023

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