VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Joint venture (JV) partners Centerra Gold and Premier Gold Mines have submitted the environmental impact statement and environmental assessment (EIS/EA) to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) to start the formal environmental review process of the Hardrock gold project, in Ontario.

The TSX-listed companies, which together form the Greenstone Gold Mines (GGM) 50:50 JV to develop the Hardrock deposit, said on Wednesday that, in preparing the applications, GGM has worked in close consultation with local Aboriginal communities, the municipality of Greenstone and local stakeholders to ensure that their input is reflected within the final EIS/EA.

Five Ontario First Nations have provided GGM with written statements in support of the project, which stands to benefit and economically stimulate the local communities. The Hardrock project is expected to significantly contribute to government revenues and economic activity, including creating C$242-million in revenues (undiscounted) for Ontario, and C$215-million for Canada. The project is also expected to increase Ontario’s gross domestic product by C$3.1-billion in revenues (undiscounted) and Canada's by C$6.3-billion.

Project expenditures on labour, goods and services is expected to total C$480-million locally and C$1.9-billion regionally over the life of the project.

The EIS/EA application is expected to meet the requirements of both the federal and provincial EA processes.

The project is located in north-western Ontario, about 275 km northeast of Thunder Bay.

The Hardrock mine has been designed as an openpit. The process plant will operate 365 days a year over a 15-year mine life. The mill throughput will range from 24 000 t/d for the first two years, increasing to 30 000 t/d after a second-phase expansion for the balance of the mine life.

The Greenstone Gold property comprises several claim groups with a cumulative length of more than 50 km of the district's most prospective geological structures. Between 1930 and 1970, miners produced more than four-million ounces of gold from several deposits with grade that ranged up to about 23 g/t.

The project has compliant proven and probable reserves of 141.7-million tonnes grading 1.02 g/t gold, for 4.65-million ounces of yellow metal.

Upon acceptance of a complete project description, the CEAA has 45 calendar days, including a 20-day public comment period, to determine whether a federal EA is required.

An EA conducted by the CEAA must be completed within 365 days. This timeline starts when a notice of the commencement of the EA is posted on the registry Internet site, and ends when the Minister of the Environment makes a decision as to whether the designated project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

The Minister of the Environment may refer a project to a review panel within 60 days of the notice of commencement of an EA. An EA by a review panel needs to be completed within 24 months.