NUNAVUT - The federal MINISTRY OF INDIAN AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS (INAC) has approved the decision of the NUNAVUT IMPACT REVIEW BOARD (NIRB) to proceed with a review of Vancouver-based MIRAMAR MINING's proposed Doris North gold mine under Part 5 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
Now that the Part 5 review has been approved, NIRB will conduct a new review and make a recommendation to the federal minister as to whether the Doris North project should proceed. If a positive NIRB recommendation is obtained and is supported by the Minister, NIRB would then issue a project certificate that would allow the Nunavut Water Board (NWB) to schedule and hold hearings into the granting of a water licence for the project. Assuming a positive NWB decision, the Minister would determine whether to approve the water licence and set the bonding amounts. The project will also need a number of other permits, such as an authorization from the Department of Fisheries and a foreshore lease from INAC for the jetty. Miramar has taken steps towards obtaining all required permits.
"We believe we are now in a position to resume the permitting process for the high grade Doris North mine, the first phase of proposed development of the Hope Bay belt," said Tony Walsh, Miramar's president and CEO. "Since NIRB made its decision in August 2004 that additional information was required before the Doris North project could be assessed, we have compiled the supplemental information necessary to address their requests. Now that we can go ahead with the Part 5, we expect to work with NIRB to establish their timetable to complete the new review of the Doris North project."
Information about the Hope Bay project is posted at www.MiramarMining.com.
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