Public Notice
Pierre River Mine Project Joint Review Panel – New Panel Chair and Member

October 2, 2013 – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, the federal Minister of the Environment, and Mr. Brad McManus, the Chief Hearing Commissioner of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), have appointed Mr. Alex Bolton as the new Panel Chair of the Joint Review Panel established to review the proposed Pierre River Mine Project.  Mr. Bolton was initially appointed as a member of the Joint Review Panel in 2012. Mr. Bolton's appointment as Panel Chair is due to the retirement of the former Chair, Mr. Jim Dilay.  In addition, Mr. McManus has been appointed as a new Panel member, while Mr. Les Cooke remains as a Panel member.

The Joint Review Panel, established by the federal Minister of the Environment and the AER to conduct an environmental assessment of the project, is proceeding with its work. The attached backgrounder provides information on the biographies of the Chair and two Members.

The project includes the construction, operation, and reclamation of an oil sands surface mine and bitumen extraction facilities. The proposed development includes an open-pit truck and shovel mine, ore handling facility, bitumen extraction facilities, tailings processing facilities, support infrastructure, water and tailings management plans, and an integrated reclamation plan, as well as the construction of a bridge across the Athabasca River. The project is designed to produce a total of 200,000 barrels of bitumen per day.

Document Reference Number: 189

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