The company also filed the environmental impact study with the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MDDELCC).
Jointly prepared by Mason Graphite and the environmental services of the engineering firm Hatch, the study involves numerous technical analysis and also provides full assessment of the predicted project effects on the biophysical and human environments.
Mason Graphite said that the study represents conclusion of more than two years of social and environmental baseline studies.
The company has undertaken consultation for the study with local stakeholders, including the community of Baie-Comeau and the First Nation of Pessamit.
Mason Graphite president and CEO Benoît Gascon said: "We are fully committed to making the Lac Guéret operation very environmentally friendly, with limited greenhouse gas emissions and footprint, and to ensure the use of the best technologies and engineering concepts to secure its participation in a green economy."
Mason Graphite is also in talks with the First Nation of Pessamit to conclude an impact and benefit agreement.
The 11,630ha Lac Guéret project was acquired by Mason from Cliffs Natural Resources in 2012.
During the operational life of 22 years, the mine is planned to produce 50,000t of saleable graphite concentrate annually, at a recovery rate of more than 96%.
Comprising 215 claims, the mine is located approximately 300km north of Baie-Comeau in Côte-Nord region of Québec.
