Completion of the Provincial EA process TORONTO, March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marathon Gold Corporation (“Marathon” or the “Company”; TSX: MOZ) is pleased to announce that it has been advised by the Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Environment and Climate Change that the Environmental Assessment Committee (“EAC”) overseeing the provincial Environmental Assessment (“EA”) of the Valentine Gold Project (the “Project”) has completed its review of the Project’s Environmental Impact Statement, (“EIS”). Concurrently, Marathon has been advised that the Project has received approval by the Cabinet of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (“NL”). This marks the completion of the provincial EA process, allowing Marathon to commence site-specific permitting including the acquisition of the Project’s Mining Lease.
Matt Manson, President and CEO, commented: “We are very happy to be announcing both completion of the provincial EIS review process and full NL Cabinet approval for the Project to proceed. This approval comes earlier than expected, and marks an important milestone towards mine development. We are grateful for the diligence shown over the last three years by the members of the EAC in their review of the Valentine Gold Project, and the support it has now received from the Honourable Bernie Davies, NL Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Honourable NL Andrew Parsons QC, Minister of Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, amongst others. Today’s news does not represent the completion of our mine approval process. The Project remains subject to final release from the parallel federal EA. In further good news, however, we were notified yesterday of the completion of the federal EIS review process. This allows a federal EA Report to now be issued for public review, followed by a determination of the Project’s acceptability by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. The completion of the provincial EA process, and completion of the federal EIS review, allow us to contemplate the successful completion of the overall EA process.”
Mr. Manson continued: “Over the last several years, Marathon has conducted extensive environmental and social data collection for the proposed mining operations at Valentine Lake. We have consulted widely with local communities, Indigenous groups, stakeholder organisations and regulatory agencies. The Valentine Gold Project is the most important new mine to be developed in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for several years. It will have a significant economic impact on the communities of Central Region and the wider province. Its approval for development confirms the reputation of Newfoundland and Labrador as a leading global jurisdiction for responsible mineral resource development and successful investment.”
Background to Today’s News
The Valentine Gold Project is subject to regulation under the environmental protection regimes of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (“CEAA”) and the Newfoundland and Labrador (“NL”) Environmental Protection Act. Marathon filed a project description with both the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (“IAAC”) and the NL Department of Environment and Climate Change (“DECC”) on April 5, 2019, which was accepted into the formal EA process on April 16, 2019. An NL Environmental Assessment Committee (“EAC”) for the Project was established on July 3, 2019, and the Project’s EIS was filed on September 29, 2020. The EIS was accepted as conforming with guidelines on November 3, 2020, allowing its formal review to begin.
The federal and provincial EA processes provide for the technical review of the EIS by multiple government agencies and the opportunity for public comment. Following regulatory and public review, federal Information Requirements (“IRs”) and provincial review comments were issued to Marathon in February 2021. The IRs and review comments are a routine part of the EA process, reflecting requested clarifications or information on various aspects of the EIS received from regulators, Indigenous groups, the public, and other stakeholders.
Marathon completed the submission of responses to 76 first-round federal IRs on May 3, 2021. Responses to 362 first-round provincial review comments were submitted on August 3, 2021. In the provincial process, responses to review comments take the form of an amendment to the EIS. IAAC subsequently issued a second round of 23 federal IRs, to which Marathon submitted responses on October 18, 2021. On October 29, 2021, Marathon was informed by the NL Minister of Environment and Climate Change that a second round of 33 provincial review comments would be issued, with responses to take the form of a second amendment to the EIS. This was filed on January 7, 2022, starting a new round of provincial EIS review. Today’s news represents the completion of this provincial review process and the concurrent approval of the Project by the NL Cabinet, allowing permits to be acquired for site activities pertaining to provincial jurisdiction. As is customary, the EA release contains certain conditions on items such as data reporting, standards compliance, environmental protection and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
Subsequent to October 2021 and the extension of the provincial EIS review period, an additional 4 IRs were received from the federal regulator and have been responded to. On March 16, 2022 Marathon received formal notification from IAAC that their technical review of the EIS was complete and no further federal IRs would be forthcoming. IAAC will now complete and issue a draft EA Report for the Project. This will be available for public comment for 30 days. On the completion of this period, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada will be in a position to make a determination on the acceptability of the Project for development. Should the federal Minister determine that the Project is likely to result in an adverse environmental impact on an environmental component in federal jurisdiction, as defined under CEAA, he may elect to refer the Project for consideration by the federal cabinet. Approval either directly by the federal Minister, or in federal cabinet, would represent the completion of the federal EA process and allow permits to be acquired on site activities pertaining to federal jurisdiction.