Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project - Environmental Assessment - Public comment period and participant funding recipients

OTTAWA, March 9, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) has announced that a public comment period is currently underway and participant funding is being allocated for the environmental assessment of the proposed Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project in northern Alberta. The federal Minister of the Environment has referred the project to a review panel for assessment.

Public comment period
The Agency is currently inviting the public to submit comments on the proponent's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. The EIA Report assesses the anticipated effects of the project on the environment. This comment period provides interested parties an opportunity to express their views to the Agency on whether the information provided by Teck Resources is satisfactory. All comments received by the Agency will be considered public and posted on the online public registry. Comments must be submitted in either official language by June 4, 2012. The Agency will review comments and determine whether it will require additional information from Teck Resources. Please submit comments to:

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Attention: Carolyn Dunn, Panel Manager
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa ON  K1A 0H3
Tel.: [phone] or 1-866-582-1884
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]

The proposed Frontier project is subject to review by the Agency, by Alberta Environment and Water, and by the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB). The requirements of the three parties are being coordinated to the greatest extent possible.

The EIA Report and the joint public notice along with more information on the project are available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca , under reference number 12-05-65505.

Participant funding recipients
The Agency is allocating a total of $15,050 to one applicant to support its participation in the environmental assessment of the proposed Frontier project.

The funding recipient is the Oil Sands Environmental Coalition. The funding is provided to help the recipient prepare for and participate in the activities of the review process, including reviewing and commenting on the EIA Report and the Terms of Reference for the panel, and participating in public hearings.

A committee independent of the review process assessed the application and made recommendations on funding awards. The committee's report, along with further information on the funding program, is available on the Agency website at
www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca .

The Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project proposed by Teck Resources Ltd. would be a new 277 000-barrel-per-day oil sands mining operation located approximately 100 km north of Fort McMurray. The Project is a truck and shovel mine which includes three open pits, ore preparation plants, bitumen processing plants, tailings facilities, cogeneration facilities, support utilities, disposal and storage areas, river water intake, fish habitat compensation lake, roads, airfield, and camp.

The project would have a disturbance area of 29 335 hectares, resulting from four development phases. The proponent proposes to start producing oil in 2021. Mining operations would cease in 2057 with decommissioning and reclamation to be completed by 2068.

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
Manager, Communications
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
613-957-0434