Baffinland drops winter sealift proposal, cites 'community concerns'

Baffinland Iron Mines has dropped its proposal to send an icebreaking cargo vessel through Eclipse Sound in March, saying community concerns now warrant "standing down."

The company sought approval from the Nunavut Impact Review Board earlier this month to send the MV Nunavik to Milne Inlet. It said it needed to transport extra trucks and trailers to the mine in spring in order to meetits shipping targets this summer.

• Baffinlandpitches wintersealiftbyicebreakingcargo ship
• Pond Inlet hunters organization against Baffinland's proposed winter sealift

That would have meant breaking ice in Eclipse Sound, an idea rejected by the Nunavut Planning Commission a few years ago. The commission saidit would be too disruptive to wildlife and community transportation routes.

The decision to withdraw the project "was made in response to recent community concerns over the timing of the proposed sealift," Baffinland saidin a Feb. 16 letter to the Nunavut Impact Review Board.

"Baffinland had proceeded with the proposal application based on previous indications that there was community support for the sealift," the letter said.

"However, recent concerns raised by the community over breaking ice in March are now considered significant and warrant standing down."

Trucks by plane?

In its original proposal, Baffinland said it could also move equipment to the site using a large cargo plane, but that would require building a landing strip on the ice.

"The full cost and viability of developing an ice landing strip strong enough to support theweight of a large cargo plane is being investigated but is not expected to be practical at this point," reads the company's Jan. 26 proposal.

Another alternative is to wait for open water to bring in the trucks, but that would only contribute to production for two months before the open water shipping season wrapped up in October.