Public hearing starts for Diavik's water licence, leading into mine's upcoming closure

A three-day public hearing is set to begin Tuesday morning in Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T., for a water licence that will see the Diavik mine through the remainder of its active operation and into its upcoming closure.

Diavik is expected to stop producing diamonds next year, but its current water licence expires before that. It is applying for another one in order to finish production and begin its closure and post-closure monitoring. The term for the water licence would be 10 years.

Several groups are scheduled to present at the hearing and ask questions during the sessions this week, including the Tłı̨chǫ government, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Łutsel K'e Dene First Nation and Deninu Kųę́ First Nation. Diavik, the territorial and federal environmental departments, and the Environmental Monitoring Advisory Board are also participating.

In presentations submitted to the Wek'èezhìi Land and Water Board in advance, the groups laid out their chief areas of interest. For many, that includes bringing more traditional knowledge into Diavik's closure plan and adding criteria for cultural uses of the land and water. The Tłı̨chǫ government has also said its main focus will be protecting Lac de Gras.

For its part, Diavik has said it is one of the first N.W.T. mines that will have a traditional knowledge monitoring program that it's developing with Indigenous partners.

In its submissions, Diavik pointed to overlap between the water licence renewal and its final closure and reclamation plan — two separate documents.

It suggested many of the topics presenters have identified would be better addressed in other ways, like through the closure plan, instead of through the water licence renewal.

The hearing is set to run Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the cultural centre in Behchokǫ̀.