Bathurst Inlet
Bathurst Inlet is a deep inlet on the Arctic Ocean. The inlet is located on the North coast of North America, the territory of Nunavut, Canada. The region is very sparsely settled.
Plans for a deep-water port
A consortium of seven mining companies are sponsoring envirnonmental impact studies to construct a deep-water port in Bathurst Inlet.[1][2] Their plans include building a 211 kilometer road connecting the port to their mines. The port would serve vessels of up to 25,000 tonnes.
A plan referred to the Nunavut Impact Review Board in May 2004 projected a capacity to moore vessels of up to 50,000 tonnes.[3] In this earlier plan the Bathurst Inlet Road would be an ice road, like that from Yellowknife, not an all-weather road as in post-2005 proposals, following the failure of the ice road to freeze early enough to allow transport of a whole year's worth of supplies.[1][2][4]
| Corporation | mine site | notes |
| Sabina Silver Corporation | Hackett River | Silver and Zinc |
| Zinifex Limited | Izok Lake | Copper and Zinc |
| Rio Tinto Incorporated | Diavik Diamond Mine | Diamonds |
| Miramar Mining | ||
| Dundee Precious Metals | ||
| BHP Billiton | ||
| DeBeers |
Environmental issues
Environmental groups have raised concerns over the impact the road would have on the annual migration of the Bathurst Caribou herd.[5][6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bob Weber. Arctic port plan gathers steam, Toronto Star, July 4 2007. Retrieved on 2007-7-11.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jonathan Ratner. New Arctic port plan for Northern miners, National Post, July 5 2007. Retrieved on 2007-7-11.
- ↑ Case Study: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, 2005 May 8. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
- ↑ Bathurst Inlet Port & Road, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, 2008 January 2. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. “Federal Responsible Authority(ies): Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.”
- ↑ Briefing Note: Bathurst Inlet Port and Road Project (BIPAR) and impacts on species in the Slave Geological Province (SGP) (NWT and Nunavut), Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
- ↑ Our Programmes: Sustainable Development, Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.