ECNT has a number of key concerns with Core Lithium's proposed BP33 underground lithium mine.
First and foremost, our position that assessment of Core Lithium’s mining operations as a whole is preferable to current piecemeal consideration of different “stages” of its operations. The separation of different components of Core Lithium’s operations for assessment and approval purposes is artificial, and inhibits wholistic consideration of risks and impacts. Moreover, it impairs the public’s ability to be comprehensively informed about Core Lithium’s operations, and to be appropriately engaged in statutory consultation processes. We believe that if Core Lithium presented the full extent of the plans for lithium extraction and processing on the Cox Peninsula at the outset, identifying (for example) plans up-front for an open pit mine, processing facility, and underground mine, there would be increased community interest and engagement in Core Lithium’s operations, and a more thorough investigation of the overall environmental impacts and risks could be undertaken.
The submission below also discusses the impacts of a changing climate, key uncertainties and information gaps in the report, lack of contingency plans, impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, concerns about mine closure and rehabilitation, groundwater and surface water impacts, and downstream impacts on Charlotte River and Bynoe Harbour.