Giant Mine newsletter: August 2018

Get the most recent updates on the Giant Mine remediation project.

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Update: the Closure and Reclamation Plan

The Giant Mine Remediation Project has prepared an updated draft of the Closure and Reclamation Plan. This will be submitted as part of the application for a Type A Water Licence in January 2019 to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. The project team requests public feedback on this plan.

The Closure and Reclamation Plan is the culmination of the engagement and design work the team has been undertaking since the Report of Environmental Assessment. It identifies the activities proposed to remediate the site and provides details for the on-going monitoring, management, and reduction of environmental effects. It also describes how the project team will meet these objectives.

The project team is sharing the Closure and Reclamation Plan and the supporting documents, including the management and monitoring plans, with members of the public so that they may provide feedback before the formal regulatory process.

Public engagement sessions on technical aspects of the Plan will take place September 18-20, 2018. The sessions be determined based on public feedback received by August 1, 2018. The sessions will be held in the Katimavik B room of the Explorer Hotel.

The Giant Mine site welcomes its new main construction manager

As of July 1, Parsons Inc. has officially taken over as the main construction manager. See the January to February newsletter for more information. You can also visit the Parsons Inc.'s remediation project website to learn more about their mandate.

Working group site visit

A group of fourteen people dressed in personal protective equipment on the Giant Mine site stand in front of the thermosyphons, which are long vertical pipes sticking out of the ground.
Members of the working group in front of the thermosyphons.

On July 12, the Giant Mine Working Group's monthly meeting took place in Yellowknife, followed by a tour at the Giant Mine site. The working group had a tour and received updates on the recent site activities.

During the meeting, they further discussed technical and operational aspects of the remediation plan and were given the opportunity to make recommendations to the project team. Topics of discussion included the upcoming stress study, a project to determine whether stress related to the possibility of arsenic exposure has caused indirect health effects on members of affected communities. Further consultations will take place soon, and will be available on the Giant Mine Remediation Project website.

The working group tours the site on an annual basis, so members can get a firsthand understanding of the project's progress.

C5-09 backfilling

This picture shows a grey, cement-like substance flowing down from a truck into a trough so it can be delivered into the underground.
Paste used for backfilling exhibits good flowability and consistency during delivery.

The final stage of the Site Stabilization Plan (SSP) began construction in May 2018. One key element is the backfilling of stope complex C5-09. As of July 8, approximately 2,000m3 of backfill material has been delivered to the underground void.

Work will continue throughout the summer and we expect it to be complete in the Fall. Approximately 54,000m3 of backfill material will be delivered to this stope complex.

Contracts awards for the Giant Mine site

The project team continues to work toward applying for the type A water licence to implement remediation. In the meantime, the team is committed to keeping the site stable and managing risks so the public and the environment remain safe. To help accomplish this, a number of subcontracts have been awarded by the main construction manager, Parsons Inc. These include:

Surface Care and Maintenance

Using the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business, Parsons Inc. hired Indigenous-owned Det'on Cho Nuna Joint Venture to conduct the care and maintenance work required to keep the surface in a stable condition until remediation can move forward. This current contract is valued at approximately $7.4 million. As part of its successful bid, the company committed to Aboriginal Opportunities Considerations that included 500 training hours to be provided, 39% of the labour required will be conducted by Indigenous staff, and 90% of subcontracting dollar value will be to Indigenous companies.

Effluent Treatment Plant operations

Parsons Inc. hired Pure Elements Environmental Solutions to operate the Effluent Treatment Plant. The contract for this specialized service is valued at $1,001,101. As part of its successful bid, the company made a significant commitment to Aboriginal Opportunities Considerations that included 8234 training hours to be provided, 83% of the labour required to be conducted by Indigenous staff, and 72% of subcontracting dollar value will be to Indigenous companies.

Emergency Medical Services Medical

Parsons Inc. awarded a competitive contract to Northern Indigenous-owned Det'on Cho Medical Solutions (a joint venture with Det'on Cho and Advanced Medical Solutions) to provide Emergency Medical Services to the site. This contract is valued at $662,184 and includes 400 hours of training in industrial site emergency medical response.

Site Security

Using the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business, Parsons Inc. hired Northern Indigenous-owned Det'on Cho Scarlet Security Services to perform the site security work. This contract is valued at $1,830,255.00. As part of its successful bid, the company committed to Aboriginal Opportunities Considerations that included 1,500 training hours to be provided, 51% of the labour required to be conducted by Indigenous staff and 51% of subcontracting dollar value will be to Indigenous companies.

Pilot Water Treatment Plant

Parsons hired Calgary-based Pure Elements Environmental Solutions to build and operate a pilot water treatment plant. This will determine if using adsorbents to remove arsenic is viable, and to support the design of the new Effluent Treatment Plant required for remediation. This contract was valued at $132,578.95. As part of its successful bid, they committed to ensuring 808 hours of training, 91% of the labour will be conducted by Indigenous staff, and 99.5% of the subcontracting dollar value will be to Indigenous companies.

Website development

Parsons Inc. awarded a contract for website development. The Yellowknife-based Outcrop Communications to develop a website that will include project updates, as well as contracting and training opportunities for Northerners and Indigenous peoples. This contract is valued at $20,535.00. Outcrop is a Northern-owned communications agency with roots in each of Canada's three territories. This contract is being handled by Outcrop's Yellowknife office, which employs a team of 25 marketing and communications experts.

This photo shows an aerial view of the Giant Mine site.
Aerial view of the Giant Mine site.

As main construction manager, Parsons Inc. incorporates Aboriginal Opportunities Considerations (AOCs) evaluation criteria into all tenders that encourage employment, training, and apprenticeships for Indigenous workers and subcontracts to Indigenous businesses. Successful bidders are required to meet or exceed their commitments or face financial penalties.

The project team is encouraged by commitments made by the successful bidders for training, labour hours and subcontractors under the Aboriginal Opportunities Considerations component of the contracts. However, the team will continue efforts to improve how local and regional benefits are maximized. Work to consider how feedback from stakeholders and the community can be incorporated into the procurement approach is ongoing. The project team is also working with our Indigenous partners, and those from all levels of government, to receive regular feedback through ongoing engagement activities.

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