On February 14-16, 2017, EMAB hosted a closure planning workshop for Board members and representatives from each of the five communities affected by the Diavik mine. The purpose of the workshop was to help participants learn about closure, get feedback on issues and concerns about closure, particularly from community participants, and plan for next steps on input into closure decision-making.
A total of 25 people participated in the workshop. EMAB invited expert resource people who have been working with us over the past year to evaluate Diavik's proposed closure plans. Over the course of the workshop, participants heard presentations from expert resource people, contributed to break-out group discussions and went on a tour of the Diavik mine site.
Participants discussed Diavik's proposed closure plans for different mine site facilities like the North Country Rock Pile, vision for the mine site post-closure, community engagement to date, work done by the Traditional Knowledge Panel, and considerations for long-term monitoring/maintenance.
It became clear during the workshop that some aspects of Diavik's proposed final closure plan for the North Country Rock Pile do not match participants' vision. In particular, participants wanted to see plans to re-vegetate the Pile and adequate ramps on the Pile for wildlife passage. There were also concerns about contaminant levels from the Pile and who is responsible for long-term monitoring plans and funding. These issues should be addressed during more comprehensive community engagement.
Click here to read the full workshop report and see the summary of recommendations supported by workshop participants.