North of 60 Mining News - The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. Jan. 13 said the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, has determined that the Back River gold project should be returned to the Nunavut Impact Review Board for further consideration.

Late in 2015, Sabina submitted an environmental impact statement for a 3,000-metric-ton-per-day mine focused on Goose, one of the properties that comprise the larger Back River project, to NIRB. In June, the review board recommended that INAC Minister Carolyn Bennett not advance Back River to the next phase of permitting at this time.

Bennett said the report submitted by NIRB is "deficient with respect to some ecosystemic issues" and has returned the Back River report to the board for further review or public hearings.

"There were a number of areas where there was insufficient information presented in the (NIRB) report to support the conclusions of the board, and where further information is required so that the ministers may understand the rationale behind the conclusions presented by the board prior to making a decision on whether the project should proceed," she wrote in a June 12 letter explaining the INAC decision.

Sabina says it has received broad based Inuit support for its Back River gold project in the Kitikmeot regions and is confident that there are no unresolvable issues and looks forward to working with the NIRB and others to address any outstanding concerns.

"We understand and support the NIRB's desire for a high level of confidence in the mitigation and management proposed and believe that we have defined programs to address their issues,"said Sabina President and CEO Brue McLeod.

Sabina is now awaiting direction from the NIRB on how the additional review of the Back River gold project is to proceed.

-SHANE LASLEY