Securing environmental approval for a gold mine development

Nova Scotia is a challenging permitting landscape with other gold mine projects taking three to five years to complete the environmental assessment process. The project is in a historic mining area where deposition of tailings from previous mining operations show elevated levels of arsenic, mercury and iron. As project development will result in both direct and indirect disturbance of historic tailings, a remedial action plan was required to manage associated risks. In addition, various waterbodies, watercourses and species at risk may be impacted by the project. The environmental planning team needed to navigate challenges in the surrounding environment and mitigate further impacts due to mine development so that issues could be addressed and the permitting process would result in a satisfactory outcome.

As the environmental assessment lead for the project, GHD worked with other consultants to successfully submit the environmental assessment registration. We completed hydrological and hydrogeological modelling to support the prefeasibility and feasibility studies for the project. We also completed air, noise and light modelling to assess the effects of the project on the receiving environment and human receptors, and to identify appropriate mitigation where necessary. Our team completed a socio-economic conditions assessment as part of the environmental assessment registration. The team also completed a Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessment to identify and delineate areas of historic tailings within zones of influence surrounding project infrastructure.  

A Historic Tailings Management Plan was developed to prepare for remediation and monitoring of areas of historic tailings that would be directly and indirectly impacted by the project. We completed a Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment to evaluate incremental changes associated with the project compared to baseline conditions which included the presence of historic tailings. In addition to supporting the environmental assessment, our team assisted the client with water management and treatment design, engagement and public consultation and regulatory approval tracking.

The environmental assessment for the project was submitted on time to the provincial regulators and presented a project that was both economically feasible and could intentionally avoid or mitigate environment impacts to prevent significant adverse effects. The gold mine project received Environmental Assessment Approval in August 2022, just two (2) months after submission. A thorough environmental assessment with effective proposed solutions allowed the mining project to move smoothly through the regulatory permitting process. GHD continues to provide permitting process support for this client, which aims to begin construction in 2026. In 2025, GHD successfully supported the client in hitting major permitting milestones including the provincial approval required for construction and operation of the mine.