Alamos Gold Inc. - Permit to take water

This proposal is for an amendment to Permit to Take Water No. P-300-1087434989 Version 2.0 for Alamos Gold Inc. Water will be taken from one lake for building operations, from 9 wells for exploration drilling purposes, and from various lakes and watercourses within 4 watersheds for exploration drilling purposes. The activities are associated with the Island Gold Mine and are located across an area approximately 50 kilometers northeast of the Town of Wawa, Ontario.

The water taking details included in the previous version of this proposal significantly overstated the maximum volumes that Alamos Gold Inc. is proposing to take, and also omitted sources for continued takings under the existing Permit to Take Water (No. P-300-1087434989 Version 2.0). Furthermore, the source names previously listed (e.g. Dog Lake) implied that water will be withdrawn only from individual waterbodies, rather than from various locations within the larger watershed (e.g. Dog Lake Watershed). This updated proposal notice reflects Alamos Gold Inc.’s proposed water taking rates and locations. The ministry is providing a new 30-day comment period associated with the updated notice of proposal.

The proposed amendment is to replace 9 lake sources on the existing Permit to Take Water (No. P-300-1087434989 Version 2.0) with 4 watershed-based sources, intended to provide operational flexibility while ensuring environmental protection consistent with all ministry standards and regulatory requirements. Strict conditions and rules are proposed to further limit the selection of locations from which water may be taken, and to govern how water is to be returned to the environment.

Details of the water taking are as follows:

Permit type – Amendment

Source Name: Goudreau Lake

• purpose: building operations
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 69.5
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Bear Paw

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 146
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Pine

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 146
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 244
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 04/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 11/30
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Unnamed Lake #1

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 146
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 121
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 04/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 11/30
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Tuff

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 146
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 121
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 04/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 11/30
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Maskinonge

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 146
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 244
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 04/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 11/30
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Indian

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 146
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 121
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 04/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 11/30
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Mall

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 146
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 244
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 04/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 11/30
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Goudreau

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 250
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 100,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Well-Unnamed Lake #9

• purpose: mining
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 100
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 40,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 244
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 04/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 11/30
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Dog Lake Watershed

• purpose: exploration drilling
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 347
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 500,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Manitowik Lake Watershed

• purpose: exploration drilling
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 347
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 500,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Magpie River Watershed

• purpose: exploration drilling
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 347
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 500,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
• period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Missinabi River Watershed

• purpose: exploration drilling
• maximum rate per minute (litres): 347
• maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
• maximum volume per day (litres): 500,000
• maximum number of days of taking per year: 365
• earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 01/01
• latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): 12/31
• period of taking: 10 years

There are 3 categories of a Permit to Take Water:

• Category 1: water takings are anticipated to have a lower risk of causing an unacceptable environmental impact/interference
• Category 2: water takings are anticipated to having a higher potential of causing unacceptable environmental impact or interference
• Category 3: water takings are anticipated to have the highest potential of causing unacceptable environmental impactor interference

The proposed water taking qualifies as a Category 3 permit.