Current status

Statement of completion

Project summary

The purpose of the project is to obtain comments on the renewal of an existing mining lease issued under the Mining Act. The lease is an integral part of the overall mining operation of the Goderich Salt Mine.

The Goderich Salt Mine is located in Goderich, Ontario, and has been in operation since 1959. On an annual basis, the Goderich Mine produces up to four million metric tons of salt. The underground salt mine is located 548.64 metres (1,800 feet) under Lake Huron. It is the largest underground salt mine, covering an area of 5,340.057 hectares.

The rock salt produced at the mine is used for de-icing in the winter and water conditioning. The salt is:

  • shipped to hundreds of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence Seaway
  • sold in bulk to manufacturers that make plastics, detergents, disinfectants and other products

The company holds this mining lease issued under the Mining Act which allows for rock salt extraction. The mining lease covers lands that are not subject to the mining claim registration process due to the unique nature of salt extraction and the location of the lands.

The lease that is up for renewal contains provisions for at least one additional term of 21 years if mine production is expected to last longer than the current term. The conditions to this renewal have been satisfied so the company is entitled to renew the lease. However, the province can impose new terms and conditions on the lease, if required.

We are proposing to retain the existing terms and conditions in the lease that confirm the lease is subject to:

  • applicable environmental legislation
  • terms and conditions related to water quality and protection of fishing rights

The lease is essential for the continued operations of the underground salt mine, which is estimated to operate until 2094. There are no new environmental impacts anticipated as a consequence of the renewal. Most of the mine’s activities are underground and these activities are regulated by other environmental legislation and regulations, not through the terms and conditions of the lease.

To view a copy of the lease, and the proposed new draft terms for the renewed leases, visit the posting for this item on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

Proponent

Compass Minerals Canada Corp.

Location

Goderich, Ontario

Type

Instrument

Reference number

Environmental Registry of Ontario #: 019-7887

Project history

Proposal to renew the mining lease: submitted

Date submitted: November 17, 2023

Expiry of public comment period: December 17, 2023

Approval to renew the mining lease: February 1, 2024

Contact

Lisette Prudhomme
Mines and Minerals Division
Ministry of Mines
B3-933 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6B5
Tel: 1-888-415-9845
Email: lisette.prudhomme@ontario.ca

Notice of opportunity to provide input on a category B project

We invite you to comment on the renewal of an existing mining lease, #107377, for the underground mine operations of the Goderich Salt Mine below Lake Huron.

The lessee has met the conditions for renewal for a 21 year term lease. While the ministry is obliged by the terms of the existing lease to grant the requested renewal, we have discretion with respect to the terms and conditions that will apply to the renewed lease.

We propose to retain the existing terms and conditions in the lease that confirms the lease is subject to applicable environmental legislation, as well as terms and conditions related to water quality and protection of fishing rights. We invite you to identify and communicate any concerns or comments in relation to our consideration of appropriate terms and conditions for the renewed mining lease.

We do not anticipate any new environmental impacts associated with the renewal of the lease. The ongoing environmental effects of the Goderich salt mine are managed and mitigated through other regulatory processes and not through the terms of the lease.

This proposed Category B project is being carried out in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment for activities under the Mining Act (Class EA).

The project documentation for this proposed project is available on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

You are invited to provide input and express any concerns about the proposed terms and conditions for the lease renewal. Comments must be received by December 17, 2023.

For more information or to submit comments, please contact:

Lisette Prudhomme
Mines and Minerals Division
Ministry of Mines
B3-933 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6B5
Tel: 1-888-415-9845
Email: lisette.prudhomme@ontario.ca

Your privacy

Personal information you provide in a submission (such as name, address, and telephone number) and your views and opinions are being collected by the ministry under the authority of the Environmental Assessment Act for the purpose of engaging in public consultation and making decisions regarding the project.

Your personal information may also be shared with the Environmental Approvals Branch of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. The collection, use, and disclosure of this information are all governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Questions about the collection of this information should be directed to:

Lisette Prudhomme
Mines and Minerals Division
Ministry of Mines
B3-933 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6B5
Tel: 1-888-415-9845
Email: lisette.prudhomme@ontario.ca

Statement of completion for a category B project

We have completed our assessment in connection with our proposal to set terms and conditions for the renewal of mining lease # 107377, held by Compass Minerals Canada Corp. This lease is used to support and provide access to the underground salt mine operations of the Goderich Salt Mine, located in Goderich, Ontario, below Lake Huron.

We have also completed the project documentation for the proposed renewal of mining lease 107377.

We proposed to retain existing terms and conditions in the renewed lease that include the provision that the lease is subject to applicable environmental legislation, as well as terms and conditions that protect water quality, natural water flow, navigation of the waters, and fishing rights.

This undertaking has been assessed as a Category B, in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment for MNDM’s Activities under the Mining Act (Class EA) (PDF).

The comment period ended on December 17, 2023. We distributed consultation letters to Aboriginal communities, government agencies and other interested persons on November 17, 2023. In addition, we posted a Notice of Opportunity to Provide Input as an Instrument Notice on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO #019-7887), and posted a notice on the Mines Class EA Web page. The notice and letters were supported with a description of the proposed renewal that included a summary of potential environmental effects associated with the renewal of the mining lease.

No commenters requested additional or modified terms and conditions in the lease. No comments referred to impacts to the environment that could potentially be mitigated through revised terms and conditions. No comments articulated specific concerns about the environmental impacts of the Goderich Salt Mine.

As authorized by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on February 1, 2024 under Order in Council No. 209/2024, the Minister of Mines has issued the renewal lease on the terms proposed.

Dated: March 13, 2024
[Original signed by] 
Scott Cousineau 
Senior Manager, Mining Lands Section 
Ministry of Mines 
Sudbury, Ontario