First Mining submits final Environmental Impact Statement for Springpole
First Mining Gold Corp. has announced the submission of the Final Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Assessment (“Final EIS/EA”) for the Springpole Gold Project (the “Project”) in northwestern Ontario.
The Final EIS/EA submission marks a major procedural milestone in the advancement of the Project. It results from two and a half years of consultation and engagement since submitting the draft EIS/EA in May 2022. The Final EIS/EA incorporates over 14 years of research and data collection and includes several optimizations completed since the Pre-Feasibility Study that improve the Project’s environmental and operational performance. The work assesses more than 20 environmental and socio-economic factors, a detailed analysis of the Project design, as well as proposed environmental mitigation measures and major benefits throughout the Project’s lifecycle. The Project is being assessed by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (“IAAC”) in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA, 2012) and by the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (“MECP”) under Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act.
“This is a major milestone for the Springpole Project,” stated Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining. “The team has worked across multiple scientific and engineering disciplines to achieve a sustainable Project that will both protect the environment and deliver tremendous socio-economic and infrastructure benefits to an underserviced region of Northwestern Ontario. Through advancements in Project designs, analysis shows that all regulatory requirements will be met by the Project, including fish habitat offsetting and water quality that will meet stringent Canadian Water Quality Guidelines during all phases of the Project. The input received from all parties during the draft EIS/EA review helped inform the optimizations made for the Final EIS/EA and the Company is appreciative of the contributors to that process. Through the creation of over 43,000 person-years of employment, over $2 billion in government revenue, and with the training, employment and business opportunities for local and Indigenous communities, Springpole is positioned to be the new economic engine for Northwestern Ontario”.
First Mining is committed to on-going engagement with Indigenous communities to support local capacity needs and consultation processes to achieve mutual information sharing and understanding for the long term. The next step in the EIS/EA process involves a conformity review by the IAAC to confirm that the Final EIS/EA meets the EIS guidelines and a public comment period for the provincial and federal processes that is expected to close in Q1 2025. The complete EIS/EA process is anticipated to conclude in Q4 2025.
For more information, please visit: https://www.firstmininggold.com/springpole-ea
About First Mining Gold Corp.
First Mining is a gold developer advancing two of the largest gold projects in Canada, the Springpole Gold Project in northwestern Ontario, where we have commenced a feasibility study and permitting activities are on-going with a final Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Assessment for the project submitted in November 2024, and the Duparquet Gold Project in Quebec, a PEA-stage development project located on the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone in the prolific Abitibi region. First Mining also owns the Cameron Gold Project in Ontario and a portfolio of gold project interests including the Pickle Crow Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Firefly Metals Ltd.) and the Hope Brook Gold Project (being advanced in partnership with Big Ridge Gold Corp.).
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