Water-taking permit requested for Adams Mine

EBR Registry Number: XA03E0019 Type of Notice: Information
Ministry: Environment Status of Notice: Information
Date Information Notice Posted: 2003/11/14

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INFORMATION NOTICE
© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2003


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Title :
Adams Mine Permit to Take Water


General Reason for Notice:
This notice is for your information. The Environmental Bill of Rights does not require this notice to be placed on the Environmental Registry, however, section 6 of the Act does allow the Environmental Registry to be used to share information about the environment with the public.


Further Specific Explanation:
The purpose of this notice is to share some information about the environment and provide an opportunity for public comment.

This proposed permit is a step towards implementing an undertaking that has been previously approved under the Environmental Assessment Act. As a result, the ministry is not required to post this permit to take water for public notice and comment under section 22 of the Environmental Bill of Rights.


Short Description:
Proponent: 1532382 Ontario Inc.

Permit Type and Permit Number: New Permit #4121-5SCN9N (00-P-6040)

Source of Water: South Pit of the Adams Mine, Boston Township, District of Temiskaming

Purpose of Taking: De-watering, and subsequently maintenance of water levels in South Pit

Period of Water Taking: Year round

Amount of Taking: 26,000,000 litres per day during the de-watering phase (up to one year in duration) and 8,650,000 litres per day during the water level maintenancephase (also up to one year in duration)

Length of Taking: Two years

An application for a two-year Permit To Take Water (PTTW) to de-water the south pit at the Adams Mine has been submitted to this Ministry. The staff conducted a full technical review of this application and the supporting information. As a result of this review, a draft PTTW containing a series of proposed conditions has been prepared.

The proposed conditions include the following requirements:

- continuous monitoring of the volume of water pumped

- ongoing measurement of water levels in the pit and in 40 monitoring wells for the duration of the permit, including;

- the collection of baseline information prior to the start of pumping

- submission of report which analyses all of the monitoring data and provides conclusions and recommendations for the further detailed design of the landfill and
the monitoring programs

- no water taken can be discharged until access to additional Crown Lands is obtained.

The Adams Mine project has received a number of approvals and there are several still needed. In June 1998, the Adams Mine undertaking received Environmental Assessment Act approval. In April 1999, a Certificate of Approval for a Waste Disposal Site was issued under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA).

Further in October 2000, a PTTW was issued under the Ontario Water Resources Act(OWRA). No de-watering of the south pit took place and the permit expired. In July 2001, a Certificate of Approval for an Industrial Sewage Works was issued under OWRA for treatment of water to be removed from the south pit during de-watering and water level maintenance. This approval is currently not in use but remains in effect.

The current application (for a two year period), is to de-water or pump out the natural water in the south pit and keep it dry so the proponent can do preliminary construction work in the pit. This is one of several additional approvals that the proponent must obtain before the site can become operational as a landfill for solid non-hazardous waste.


Opportunity for Public Input:
Comments are invited on the specific merits of the attached application and particularly on the draft PTTW by January 5, 2004. Submissions must be related to the specifics of this application and the proposed draft PTTW, including the
conditions. Any submissions will be considered in the context of the Director's authority under the OWRA and the regulations.

Once the PTTW Director makes a final decision, it will be posted for information purposes on this registry. The proponent has the right to appeal this decision to the Environmental Review Tribunal. Since the final decision notice will be posted under Section 6 of the Environmental Bill of Rights, no third party right to apply for leave to appeal the Director's decision exists under Section 38 of the Environmental Bill of Rights.

Any comments are to be submitted in writing by January 5, 2004 to the following e-mail or postal address:


Director
Permit To Take Water
Ministry of the Environment
435 S. James Street, Suite 331
Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6S7
OR
[email protected]


Contact Person:
Director, Permit to Take Water Program
Northern Region, Thunder Bay Office
3rd Floor, 435 James Street South Suite 331
Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 6S7
PHONE: (807) 475-1205 FAX: (807) 475-1754

The following offices have additional information:
North Bay Area Office
P.O. Box 6000, 447 McKeown Ave.
Suite: 103
North Bay, Ontario, P1B 9T3
PHONE: (705) 497-6869

Thunder Bay Regional Office
435 James Street South
Suite: 331
Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 6E3
PHONE: (807) 475-1205 FAX: (807) 475-1754

Timmins District Office
Ontario Government Complex - Hwy 101 East,
P.O. Bag 3080, South Porcupine, Ontario, P0N 1H0
PHONE: (705) 235-1500 FAX: (705) 235-1520

Additional material in support of this notice is available by clicking here.