Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project - Environmental Assessment Referral to Review Panel and Availability of Funding

OTTAWA, Jan. 19, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable Peter Kent, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) today announced the referral of the proposed Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project in northern Alberta to an environmental assessment by an independent review panel.

The Minister's decision follows a recommendation from the Agency. The decision to refer the project to a review panel was made after considering the project's potential for significant adverse effects on the environment.

The federal government is committed to working with Alberta to coordinate provincial and federal environmental assessment requirements.

Federal Funding Available
The Agency is making available $80,000 under its Participant Funding Program to assist groups and individuals to participate in the environmental assessment of this project.

Funding will help successful applicants to participate in the upcoming steps of the review panel process, including reviewing and commenting on the environmental impact statement (EIS) and the panel terms of reference and to participate in public hearings.

A funding review committee, independent of the review panel process, will consider all applications and make recommendations on funding allocations. Applications received by the Agency by February 20, 2012 will be considered.

Information on the Participant Funding Program is available at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca . More information on the project review is available on the Agency web site in the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry, reference # 12-05-65505.

The Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project proposed by Teck Resources Limited and SilverBirch Energy would be a 280,000 barrel per day oil sands mining operation located in north eastern Alberta, approximately 110 km north of Fort McMurray. The project would be an average-size oil sands mine and involve ore extraction from three pits, tailings areas and bitumen processing. The project would include infrastructure such as a river water intake, fish habitat compensation lake, roads, airstrip, camp and cogeneration powerplant. The project area is estimated at over 29,000 hectares, and if approved, site clearing operations are expected to begin in 2014. The first oil to be produced from the site would be scheduled for 2021.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.

Media may contact:

Lucille Jamault
Communications
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
613-957-0434