Iron mine would have big impact on Baffin region, says QIA

Regulators and Inuit organizations have serious concerns about Baffinlands proposed Mary River iron ore mine, detailed in their responses to the company's draft environmental impact statement.

The Mary River site is located on northern Baffin Island, 160 kilometres south of Pond Inlet. The $4 billion enterprise would involve year-round Arctic shipping.

In its technical comments on the draft statement, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association calls the company's predictions "flawed" because Baffinland found there would be no significant negative impacts from the project.

"We believe that the environmental impacts, the social impacts, the marine impacts will greatly affect the Baffin Region," said Okalik Eegeesiak, president of the QIA.

The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans said Baffinland has not collected enough environmental data on the area and it wants the company to get more information before any development.

Some reviewers found that where information existed, it wasn't included in the draft impact statement.

Vicki Sahanatien has been studying Foxe Basin bears since 2007, but said she was never contacted by the company.

"Some of the information is difficult to access, but I think more effort searching for information could have been made," she said.

Greg Missal, vice-president of Baffinland, said the criticism was expected.

"We'll be meeting with those reviewers and we hope to talk it through with them and find a suitable solution to the points that they raise," he said.

Starting tomorrow the company will spend two days with the reviewers at what's called a "technical meeting," the next step in the Nunavut Impact Review Board's process.