Due to the July 6 adjustments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, adjustments are being made to the review panel's mandate for the New Prosperity mine environmental assessment.
A public notice from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency says the federal minister of environment has set timelines for the environmental assessment as follows:
• The timeline for the panel to submit its report is 235 days (7.5 months) from coming into force of CEAA 2012, as specified in the previous Terms of Reference.
• The timeline for the decision statement will be 120 days (four months) from submission of the review panel's report.
The above timelines do not include the time the proponent, Taseko Mines Ltd., takes to gather information required for the environmental assessment.
The terms of reference were amended to reflect the above timelines and to integrate reporting requirements to ensure the review panel's report identifies those conclusions and recommendations that relate to the environmental effects to be taken into account in the federal minister's decision statement.
To view the amendments visit the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry, registry number 63928.