Excerpted from Ramsey's presentation to the review panels on November 23, 2010, in Mistissini Cree Nation
The guidelines set out in the Directives have clearly not been met by the proponent, and where they may have been met in the table of contents and section numbers the quality of the work is not sufficient for you, the communities of Mistissini, Cree Regional Authority, Chibougamau residents or other stakeholders to really assess the potential impacts and benefits of this project. The document is full of gaps, and statements and conclusions that are not supported. Given these deficiencies I submit that the panels cannot recommend approval for the project.
The specific issues I will address this evening are:
- Project justification and contextual information
- Project description
- Evaluation of risks to ground and surface water from mine dewatering
- Description and assessment of an operating mine.
Other reviewers contracted by the Cree Regional Authority have drawn attention to other fundamental deficiencies in the baseline data and monitoring programs, and of the cumulative effects assessment. I would like to state my agreement with their assessments and add that the additional information provided by the proponent since these reviews has done nothing to address these deficiencies.
Unfortunately the time provided does not allow me to include concerns I have regarding the social impacts and impacts on fish and wildlife. I would also like to stress that I do not consider this presentation or my written submission to be a comprehensive list of the faults and weaknesses of the EIS, but those that I have found based on my own abilities and limited time to review the documentation.