Ottawa on Monday approved an environmental assessment for a lithium mine project in Quebec that would produce 5,480 tonnes of the ore per day amid mounting global pressure to secure supply. important minerals,
The James Bay Lithium Mine Project, located about 100 kilometers east of James Bay in the Eastman Cree community in Quebec, will produce lithium – a key ingredient in clean technology such as electric vehicle batteries and solar panels, the government said on Monday.
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lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper and a group of 17 metals and minerals known as rare earth elements Investments in exploration, production and processing are being prioritized as part of Canada’s critical minerals strategy announced last month by Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.
“The government is committed to fostering mutually beneficial relationships between industry and Indigenous peoples, as well as making Canada a choice for sustainably and responsibly sourced critical minerals, from exploration and extraction to manufacturing and recycling,” Wilkinson said in a news release. Committed to becoming a global supplier of monday.
“Through our recently released Critical Minerals Strategy, we are supporting responsible and sustainable critical minerals development to create good jobs, reduce emissions and build a low-carbon economy.”
According to data provided by the proponent, Galaxy Lithium Canada Inc., the James Bay Lithium Mine Project will require 280 workers during the construction phase and an annual average of 167 workers during the mine’s 15 to 20 years of operation.
Ottawa said the James Bay project is subject to a thorough review process by a joint assessment committee consisting of representatives from the Canadian Impact Assessment Agency and the Cree Nation government.
The project can proceed, subject to monitoring throughout its lifecycle. The federal government has set 271 legally binding conditions Galaxy Lithium must adhere to, including protections for fish and fish habitat, migratory birds and birds at risk, wetlands, woodland caribou, bats at risk, Cree health and Includes measures of current use of land and resources. for traditional purposes by the Crees.
The vital mineral was among the issues Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador discussed during their summit in Mexico last week.
In 2020, the World Bank predicted that demand for critical minerals would increase by 500 percent by 2050. Canada is not a commercial producer of rare earth elements, although it has some of the largest known reserves.
Trudeau was scheduled to visit a rare earth element processing plant in Saskatoon on Monday.
With files from The Canadian Press
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