Detailed Project Description

Since publication of the Initial Project Description, the footprint has been updated to reflect progress in Project design and to incorporate feedback gathered through engagement, including: 

  • Selecting a mine pit designed to produce an estimated total of 360 million metric tonnes of clean coal; 
  • Minimizing the footprint in the Chauncey Creek drainage as much as feasible considering geotechnical safety constraints; 
  • Selecting a tailings management option involving dewatering and storage of the dewatered tailings at a combined coarse and fine refuse storage facility;
  • Refining waste rock storage area plans including: 
  • Reducing waste rock disturbance in the unimpacted area of the Kilmarnock Creek drainage outside of the existing C-3 Permit boundary, compared to the Initial Project Description documents; 
  • Accommodating the selected dewatered tailings option by expanding the existing combined coarse and fine refuse storage facility in the Eagle 4 South Pit into areas previously considered for waste rock storage in the Initial Project Description documents; 
  • Refining the slope design of the waste rock storage area for safety and constructability, which resulted in more waste rock placed over a larger area of the existing waste rock disturbance in the Kilmarnock Creek drainage within the C-3 Permit boundary, compared to the Initial Project Description documents; 
  • Further planning for backfilling of the Eagle and FRX Pits; 
  • Refining the area for water management infrastructure, while avoiding sedimentation pond placements within the 500-year floodplain of the Fording River;
  • Refining the areas of potential disturbance associated with potential waste rock run out and cast-over or fly rocks from pit development; and 
  • Identifying areas for haul roads, power lines, water management infrastructure, laydown areas, and maintenance facilities, including areas for access corridors and support facilities west of the Eagle Pit within the C-3 Permit boundary, which were not specifically identified in the IPD documents. 

The design refinements and changes to the Project footprint since the provincial and federal Initial Project Description documents have: 

  • Increased the area within the existing C-3 Permit boundary (increased use of previously disturbed areas at Fording River Operations) by 770 ha, primarily due to the increased use of existing waste rock storage areas in the Kilmarnock drainage and additional areas west of Eagle Pit for access and support facilities; and
  • Reduced the area outside of the C-3 Permit boundary (i.e., new disturbance area) by approximately 220 ha, including reduced footprint in the Chauncey Creek drainage and in the unimpacted area of the Kilmarnock Creek drainage.