Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (Agnico Eagle) is developing the Meliadine Gold Project (Project), located approximately 25 kilometres (km) north of Rankin Inlet, and 80 km southwest of Chesterfield Inlet in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. Situated on the western shore of Hudson Bay, the proposed Project site is located on a peninsula between the east, south, and west basins of Meliadine Lake (63°1’23.8’’ N, 92°13’6.42"W).

To support the Project, infrastructures will be developed in Rankin Inlet, in the Itivia harbour area. These infrastructures include a bypass road, and a fuel farm and laydown area which are incorporated within Project Certificate 11MN034 and Water License 2AM-MEL1631.

Agnico Eagle is proposing to use the Itivia Quarry (62°47’58.88’’ N, 92°04’50.48"W) located within the boundaries of the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet as the source of material for the Itivia laydown and bypass road. Approximately 200,000 m3 of solid rock (300,000 m3 from quarry) will be required from the Itivia Quarry to build these infrastructures. Material will be extracted using a drilling & blast method. Activities would start in March 2017 and would continue until September 2017 pending regulatory approval.
During quarrying operations, Agnico Eagle will use existing infrastructures at the Meliadine Project Site and no new roads will need to be built to access this site. The quarry site will be accessed using municipal roads and the Meliadine All-Weather Access Road. This Project will not require erection of new structures. There will be no fuel tank or hazardous material storage facility at the Itivia Quarry. Resupply of diesel and emulsion required for operations will be done daily or when required by trucks coming from the Meliadine site.
Alternatives assessed include quarry sites along the Meliadine All-Weather Access Road and approved under quarry leases with the KIA and quarry sites located on Commissionner’s Land but located further away from the Itivia laydown and bypass road areas. The Itivia Quarry was chosen based on its close proximity to the Project reducing costs and to make the Itivia area cleaner, safer, better organized and nicer looking for the community of Rankin Inlet.
The primary potential environmental impacts include: noise, vibration and dust. To mitigate noise, vibration and dust, Agnico Eagle will provide controls including:
1. Daytime blasting only;
2. Blast monitoring for vibration and noise;
3. Dust suppression on drilling equipment;
4. Crusher location selected to minimize dust emissions; and
5. Dust monitoring.
All waste generated at the Itivia Quarry will be brought back to the Meliadine site and handled as per approved management plans. The quarry will be tested for Acid Rock Drainage/Metal Leaching (ARD/ML) potential. No known archaeological and cultural sites are located in the area. In conclusion, based on best practices and proposed mitigation actions, no significant impacts are predicted at the Itivia Quarry.
Upon completion of operations in 2017, the quarry area will be decommissioned and left in a geo-technically stable state and reclaimed as the Preliminary Closure and Reclamation Plan approved under water Licence 2AM-MEL1631.