His Majesty the King in right of Ontario as represented by the Minister of Mines - Direction to report on sewage or water works

In 2015, the former Lockerby Mine reverted to the crown after the property owner First Nickel Mine Inc. went into receivership. The Ministry of Mines (MINES) has been progressively implementing closure measures at the property with the goal to achieve zero discharge from the site at final closure.

Since 2015, MINES has managed stormwater at the site by pumping from storage ponds into the underground workings to prevent any discharge to the environment, however available storage in the underground workings is decreasing as the mineshaft also naturally floods.

In 2023, MINES began to rebuild the site effluent treatment due to an increase in the rate of mineshaft flooding. The effluent treatment system is now in place.

MINES is required to apply for a new Environmental Compliance Approval for the discharge that meets current requirements. The old approval dates from 2002 and has no limits or monitoring requirements as the site was subject to the former Municipal/Industrial Strategy for Abatement/ Effluent Monitoring and Effluent Limits (MISA/EMEL) Regulations that have since been revoked.

This proposal is for a new director’s direction to establish effluent limits, objectives, and monitoring and reporting plans for the former Lockerby Mine in case stormwater discharge to the environment is required before an amended Environmental Compliance Approval can be issued.