Water is a precious resource. Côté Gold is located within the James Bay watershed, so water within our site footprint flows north, ultimately to the Arctic Ocean.
IAMGOLD has implemented rigorous management systems to monitor and respond to potential effects in the freshwater environment.
The aquatic monitoring program also verifies predictions from the Environmental Assessment and Environmental Effects Review, supports fisheries authorizations, and provides accurate data on water quality and movement.
Lakes
Effluent
Groundwater
Hydrology
Water Taking, Discharging, and Transferring
The Côte Gold ore deposit is partially located beneath a former lake, Côté Lake. To compensate for the loss of fish habitat, we have created another lake and re-aligned the former Mollie River by constructing water channels.
Comprehensive aquatic habitat evaluations were conducted before construction to understand and inventory the quantity and quality of habitats being altered or removed. We then used this information to develop a plan to create positive contributions to the aquatic ecosystem. This plan was informed by Indigenous and public consultation and was approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
As part of IAMGOLD’s Zero Harm® commitment to minimize our impact on the environment, we developed various fish mornitoring programs.
Construction Monitoring
Vibration Monitoring
Blast vibration and over-pressure monitoring (to protect fish and incubating eggs) during spawning seasons
Offsetting and Habitat Monitoring
Geomorphic Stability and Habitat Conditions
Benthic Invertebrate Community Composition and Biomass (Aquatic Organism Diversity and Abundance)
Fish Surveys
Currently at Côté, air quality monitoring and mitigation programs track and reduce emissions. Monitoring stations are strategically located to detect generated air emissions and particulate in areas of close proximity to the property boundary.
Aligned with our Zero Harm® vision, our overarching environmental objectives are to prevent and mitigate any environmental impacts, to meet or surpass regulatory requirements, and to strive to continually improve our environmental practices and performance.
Noise reduction criteria are incorporated into all design and construction activities occurring on site. Setback distances are established between the local seasonal residents and construction activities, and operational restrictions on nighttime activities are in place to limit disturbances.
IAMGOLD keeps nearby seasonal residents informed about the timing and extent of blast activities. Our environmental objectives are to prevent and mitigate any environmental impacts of vibrations related to nearby waterbodies and resident fish populations. Through advanced monitoring, blast size regulation, and appropriate setbacks, IAMGOLD is working towards its Zero Harm® vision and safeguarding fish and wildlife.
During exploration and construction planning we established strategies to reduce the effects on potential archaeological and heritage sites. IAMGOLD’s management practices identify, protect, preserve, and restore resources. With qualified archaeologists and Indigenous community members, we excavate, catalogue, document, and archive any artifacts.
We collaborate with Indigenous communities and local and provincial agencies, as appropriate, and inform them of project developments.
Côté Gold has maintained public access to the 4M canoe route so the community can safely traverse through the site. Anyone planning to use the 4M canoe route is encouraged to contact the Côté Gold Community Relations team beforehand, using our general enquiries contact form, to ensure safe passage through the Côté Gold property.
Mines produce ‘tailings’ as a by-product of mineral processing. During this process, mine rock is crushed, water and reagents are added to the fine particles, and the valuable metals are separated from the mined rock. The tailings produced in the process are transported as a slurry to a Tailings Management Facility for management and final storage.
Côté Gold’s tailings facility will store tailings produced from processing 203 million tonnes of ore during the life of the mine. Tailings water will be pumped from the reclaim pond directly to the mill for reuse, forming a closed circuit. Collection ditches and ponds have been constructed around the facility perimeter to collect runoff and seepage for recirculation to the process plant.
Rigorous quality assurance and control measures are in place to support safe design, construction, and operation of the tailings facility. It is designed to include automated monitoring and surveillance technology that allows for real-time, remote data collection and review to verify performance.
Our tailings governance framework includes oversight by an Independent Tailings Review Board. This board reviews current operational conditions, future tailings management facility design and construction plans and provides third party review of construction as it progresses. The board consists of industry experts including BGC Engineering, SNC Lavalin, and Knight Piesold.
IAMGOLD has committed to progressive rehabilitation of the Tailings Management Facility with cover soils and native vegetation. Throughout the operations phase, approximately 25% of the facility is expected to be vegetated, creating the potential for self-revegetation and reducing the overall reclamation time during the post-closure phase of the Project.
The tailings facility is subject to ongoing engineering design and optimization that comply with national requirements and international best practices, including:
