RE: Meanwhile....... https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2013/01/11/north-baffinland-plans-change.html
Baffinland has to go jump through more hoops at the NIRB, even if they're downscaling the project and presumably decreasing environmental impact. Expect years of public reviews and hearings. The NIRB does not make things easy:
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"The Nunavut Impact Review Board issued a project certificate for the Mary River project in late December after a four-year environmental review.
Baffinland is now asking the board to amend the certificate to allow the new plan.
Ryan Barry, the board's executive director, said the board can't just make changes to a project certificate.
"It's a substantial process," he said. "Like all of our processes, it would require the proponent to give us adequate information about all the potential environmental effects. It would be subject to public review and potentially to further hearings as well."
Barry said the board will make a recommendation to the federal government. The Northern Development minister will then decide whether to reopen the project certificate."