Goldboro gold mine will be first test of Nova Scotia's new regulatory rules
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The company hoping to open Nova Scotia's next gold mine says the province has accepted its application for industrial approval, meaning the environment minister will issue a decision about the project's future within 60 days.
NexGold Mining Corp. said in a news release Tuesday that its Goldboro Gold project is now under review for industrial approval — the final provincial regulatory hurdle that must be overcome before operations can get underway.
"This is a major milestone that paves the way for the potential development of the Goldboro Gold Project," Kevin Bullock, NexGold's president and CEO, said in the news release.
The news comes just a few days after the province announced it is changing its industrial approval process for metal mines with the aim of speeding up approvals. The changes are part of a broader push from the Houston government for more resource development.
One of the most prominent changes is that more than a dozen requirements were dropped from the industrial approval application. The requirements that include noise and air quality monitoring plans will now be required at various stages following approval, once the project has moved on to site preparation, construction and operation.
The Goldboro project would comprise two open-pit mines. It received environmental approval in 2022 under NexGold's previous name, Signal Gold.
The company said it submitted its industrial approval application in August 2023 and has been working with the province since then to have the application deemed complete.
"The letter we received is the culmination of years of work by the NexGold team and we look forward to future constructive dialogue with the Province to work towards a positive IA conclusion in the next two months," said Bullock.
Provincial legislation sets a 60-day deadline for a decision on industrial approvals once a complete application is accepted.
Earlier this year, the province granted a 779-hectare lease of Crown land to the Goldboro project. It had previously secured mineral exploration and extraction licences, and signed community benefit agreements with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs and the Municipality of the District of Guysborough.
The project has been hotly criticized by environmentalists who are worried about the destruction of natural habitat, including wetlands, and the risk of arsenic contamination to waterways and groundwater from mining operations.
Last year, the company applied to Environment and Climate Change Canada for approval to use seven water courses for mine waste disposal. According to the federal department, the disposal would impact about 0.27 hectares of fish habitat. Ottawa has not yet released a decision.
NexGold has said it expects the project to last 15 years, including 11 years of mining.
Nova Scotia has a long history of gold mining, particularly in the Goldboro area of Guysborough County, although there are currently no operational gold mines.
The Touquoy mine near Moose River, N.S., is the most recent example. It started operating in 2017 and wrapped up in 2023. It's now in reclamation, although the company behind the operation is in a legal dispute with the province about how to clean up the site.
The province is undertaking cleanups at several former gold mine sites.
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