Short title

        1. This Order may be cited as the Voisey's Bay Mining Development Undertaking Exemption Order.

21/97 s1

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Exemption

        2. The Voiseys Bay mining development undertaking for the development of a nickel-copper-cobalt mine and mill at Voiseys Bay in Labrador is exempted from sections 7 to 31 of the Environmental Assessment Act .

99/98 s1

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Terms and conditions of exemption

        3. The exemption effected by this order is subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Appendix to this order.

21/97 s3

Appendix

        1. The environmental assessment of the Voisey's Bay mining Development Undertaking (“undertaking”) will be performed in accordance with the duly executed Memorandum of Understanding on Environment Assessment of the Proposed Voisey's Bay Mining Development (“MOU”).

        2. The Minister of Environment and Labour, the President of the Labrador Inuit Association and the President of the Innu Nation will consult with each other with respect to the recommendations contained in the panel report and attempt to reach consensus on these recommendations to formulate a joint recommendation, or failing consensus, individual recommendations.

        3. The individual recommendations or joint recommendation of the Minister of Environment and Labour, the President of the Labrador Inuit Association and the President of the Innu Nation in term and condition 2 will be submitted to the Lieutenant-Governor in Council within 30 days of their receipt of the panel report under section 4.1 of the MOU.

        4. The Lieutenant-Governor in Council will consider the recommendations of the Minister of Environment and Labour, the President of the Labrador Inuit Association and the President of the Innu Nation prior to rendering its decision under section 32 of the Environmental Assessment Act .

        5. Subject to subparagraph 33(1)(b)(vi) of the Environmental Assessment Act , all necessary regulatory approvals, permits and licences required by federal, provincial and municipal authorities for the various activities and stages of the undertaking will be obtained by Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Limited and/or their contractors, agents and representatives and copies of them will be forwarded to the Minister of Environment and Labour.

21/97 Appendix; 99/98 s2

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The reason for this Exemption Order is to enable the province to participate in a joint environmental assessment of the undertaking. A Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Voisey's Bay Mining Development (“MOU”) will be executed by the relevant departments of the federal and provincial governments, the Labrador Inuit Association and the Innu Nation following the approval of this Exemption Order by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council. The MOU provides for a single, effective and efficient environmental assessment, including provision for comprehensive public involvement. The MOU eliminates the possibility of duplicative and costly environmental assessments potentially jeopardizing the undertaking which would clearly not be in the public interest.

©Earl G. Tucker, Queen's Printer