Current status

Environmental assessment: approved, January 28, 2015

Project summary

The purpose of the Rainy River Gold Mine Project is to construct, operate and eventually reclaim an open pit and underground gold mine.

Proponent

New Gold Inc.

Location

Township of Chapple

Type

Mining

Reference number

13102

Contact

Environmental Assessment and Permissions Branch

Project history

Environmental assessment: approved
Date submitted: January 17, 2014
Expiry of public comment period: March 7, 2014
Expiry of public comment period for Ministry Review: October 24, 2014
Decision date: January 28, 2015

Terms of reference: approved
Date submitted: October 26, 2012
Expiry of public comment period: November 26, 2012
Decision date: May 1, 2013

Designation (voluntary agreement): granted
Date submitted: February 6, 2012
Decision date: May 4, 2012

Environmental assessment

New Gold Inc. (formerly Rainy River Resources Ltd.) has completed the environmental assessment for the proposed Rainy River Project, an open pit and underground gold mine. As required under section 6.2(1) of the Environmental Assessment Act and according to the Terms of Reference approved by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change on May 1, 2013, New Gold submitted its environmental assessment on January 17, 2014 to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for review and decision.

The proposed undertaking includes the construction, operation and eventual reclamation of an open pit and underground mine. Open pit mining operations would occur at a rate of approximately 21,000 tonnes per day (tpd) of ore production, supported by a planned 1,500 tpd adjunct underground mining operation. It is expected that construction of the mine would take 2 years and the mine’s operating life would be 16 years.

The project is located on New Gold property in the Township of Chapple, Ontario. The major proposed project components include:

  • open pit and underground mine
  • ore processing plant
  • maintenance shop, warehouse and administration complex
  • explosives manufacturing and storage facilities
  • stockpiles (overburden, run of mine ore, low-grade ore and mine rock)
  • aggregate extraction
  • tailings management area
  • onsite access roads and pipelines, power infrastructure and fuel storage facilities
  • domestic and industrial waste handling
  • water management facilities, drainage works, including ponds, watercourse diversions and a constructed wetland
  • re-alignment of existing Highway 600
  • offsite 230 kV transmission line

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change completed its review of the environmental assessment on September 8, 2014. On January 28, 2015, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, with concurrence from the Lieutenant Governor in Council, gave approval to proceed with the undertaking, subject to conditions.

Terms of reference

The proposed undertaking includes the construction and development of an open pit and underground mine. Rainy River Resources (RRR) proposes to construct, operate and eventually reclaim a new open pit and underground gold mine on the Rainy River Gold Project (RRGP) property.

Voluntary agreement

Mining development projects are carried out by private sector proponents and are not subject to the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA), although certain components of the project (such as the construction of ancillary facilities, modifications to provincial highways or the construction of a transmission line) may trigger EAA requirements. Construction of the actual mine is subject to Ontario’s Mining Act, 1990, which falls under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

However, on May 4, 2012, Rainy River entered into a voluntary agreement with the Ministry of the Environment to make the proposed project subject to the requirements of the EAA.