Meliadine waters designated for tailings

Summary#

These final regulations add 15 water bodies near the Meliadine Mine (about 25 km north of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut) to Schedule 2 of the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations. That change officially allows those waters to be used as tailings impoundment areas, subject to conditions and a required compensation plan that costs about $2.57 million.

What it does#

• Adds 15 water bodies (one named lake and three geographic areas covering the rest) to Schedule 2 of the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations, designating them as tailings impoundment areas (TIAs).
• Authorizes the deposit of mine waste (tailings, waste rock and related water) into those TIAs, but only after the Minister approves a fish habitat compensation plan (FHCP) and all MDMER conditions are met.
• Identifies a total loss of 161.2 hectares of fish habitat from the Meliadine expansion.
• Requires the proponent to provide a financial guarantee (letter of credit or equivalent) to ensure the FHCP is implemented. The FHCP’s estimated cost is $2.57 million over 11 years.
• The regulations were registered on March 6, 2025 and published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on March 26, 2025.

Who's affected#

• Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, the mine owner/operator proposing the Meliadine expansion.
• People and groups who use local fish and water for food, culture or livelihood near Rankin Inlet, especially Inuit organizations such as the Kivalliq Inuit Association and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.
• Federal regulators, notably Environment and Climate Change Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, who will review and monitor the compensation plan and enforce conditions.
• Local fish populations that live in the affected lakes and streams (species recorded include ninespine and threespine stickleback, Arctic Grayling, Arctic char, burbot and slimy sculpin).
• It appears there are no direct new costs for small businesses beyond the mine operator; the regulation primarily affects the project and local users.

Why it matters#

• The change allows mine waste to be deposited in waters that currently support fish. That means a real, permanent change to about 161.2 hectares of fish habitat near the mine.
• The government requires compensatory measures. The proponent’s FHCP expects to more than offset the lost productivity (projected loss 491.5 kilograms/year vs. projected gain 815.9 kilograms/year from compensation). Those are estimates and depend on successful implementation and monitoring.
• For nearby communities, this affects local freshwater ecosystems and could change fishing and traditional uses. The government and the proponent report they consulted Inuit representatives; the Kivalliq Inuit Association did not object to the list of affected waters while continuing work on compensation measures.
• The regulation sets out financial and monitoring conditions to reduce risk, but it also signals a trade-off: allowing expanded mining infrastructure in exchange for habitat compensation and oversight.