Notice of Commencement of an Environmental Assessment

Raven Underground Coal Mine Project

Buckley Bay (BC)

May 20, 2010 (Updated January 11, 2012) -- Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Port Alberni Port Authority are required to ensure that a comprehensive study is conducted pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act commencing on May 17, 2010 in relation to the project: Raven Underground Coal Mine Project.

On July 12, 2010, a series of amendments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act came into force. As part of these amendments, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is playing an enhanced role in the environmental assessment of this project as it will perform the duties and functions of the responsible authority in relation to this project until the submission of the comprehensive study report to the Minister of the Environment.

As part of its new role, the Agency has posted a notice on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry inviting the public to comment on the project and the conduct of the comprehensive study.

Compliance Coal Corporation (doing business as the Comox Joint Venture) proposes the development of an underground coal mine, including a coarse and fine rejects rock dump, located approximately 20 kilometres south of Courtenay on eastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The proposed development would have a project footprint of about 200 hectares. The Proponent estimates that the proposed development would produce mine 44 million metric tonnes of raw coal and rock over about 20 years (average of 2.2 million tonnes per year) to produce between 1.0 and 1.5 million tonnes of saleable coal per year and would generate approximately 1,000,000 cubic metres of fine rejects and 9,000,000 cubic metres of coarse rejects during the life of mine. The majority of the proposed development would occur within the Cowie Creek drainage, which flows into Fanny Bay on Baynes Sound. Compliance Coal Corporation proposes to transport coal from the mine by truck on existing highways 80 km south to the port of Port Alberni. Port upgrading work at Port Alberni is to be conducted by the proponent to enable shipment of coal offshore.

An environmental assessment is required in relation to the project because Fisheries and Oceans Canada may take action in relation to subsection 35(2) of the Fisheries Act and the Port Alberni Port Authority may provide federal lands.

This project is also subject to the environmental assessment requirements of the Government of British Columbia.

As per the Cabinet Directive on Improving the Performance of the Regulatory System for Major Resource Projects, this environmental assessment has been identified as a major natural resource project. For additional information refer to the Major Projects Management Office's Tracker that monitors the progress of proposed major resource projects through the federal regulatory review system.

For further information on this environmental assessment, please contact:
Raven Underground Coal Mine Project
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Chris Barlow, Project Manager
410 - 701 Georgia Street West
Vancouver  BC  V7Y 1C6
Telephone : 604-666-2431
Fax : 604-666-6990
Email : Raven@ceaa-acee.gc.ca

and refer to Registry reference number 10-03-55529