Pierre River Mine Project

News Release
Joint Panel Established To Review Proposed Pierre River Mine Project

OTTAWA, June 8, 2012 – The Honourable Peter Kent, federal Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Dan McFadyen, Chair of the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) of Alberta, today announced the establishment of a three-member joint panel to review the proposed Pierre River Mine project near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

Minister Kent and Mr. McFadyen have appointed Mr. Jim Dilay as the Panel chair. Mr. Alex Bolton and Mr. Les Cooke were appointed as the other members of the Panel. Biographical information on the Panel chair and members is available in the accompanying backgrounder.

The Joint Panel Agreement for the Pierre River project and the amendment to the existing Joint Panel Agreement for the Jackpine Mine Expansion project were released today, following a recent public comment period. The changes to both project Agreements allow for the members of the Jackpine Panel to also review the Pierre River project and to coordinate elements of the review processes for both projects to help increase efficiency.

The Agreements establish the mandate and authority of the Panel, its composition and the procedures and timelines for the review processes.

Further details on the scope of the environmental assessments can be found in the terms of reference contained in the Agreements. The Agreements, along with more information on the projects, are available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca under reference # 10-05-59539 for the Pierre River project and # 10-05-59540 for the Jackpine project.

The Pierre River Mine Project proposed by Shell Canada includes the construction, operation and reclamation of an oil sands surface mine and bitumen extraction facilities. The proposed mining project would be located approximately 90 km north of Fort McMurray on the west side of the Athabasca River. The proposed development includes an open-pit mine, ore handling facility, bitumen extraction facilities, tailings processing facilities, support infrastructure, water and tailings management plans and the construction of a bridge across the Athabasca River. The project is designed to produce a total of 200 000 barrels of bitumen per day.

Shell Canada is also proposing to expand the Jackpine Mine project. The expansion would include additional mining areas and associated processing facilities, utilities and infrastructure. The project would be located about 70 km north of Fort McMurray on the east side of the Athabasca River. The expansion project would increase bitumen production by 100 000 barrels per day, bringing production at the mine to 300 000 barrels per day.

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.

The Energy Resources Conservation Board is an independent, quasi-judicial agency of the Government of Alberta. It regulates the safe, responsible, and efficient development of Alberta's energy resources: oil, natural gas, oil sands, coal, and pipelines.

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