Civil Engineering Professor Philip Byer has been named to a joint federal-provincial review panel for the environmental assessment of a proposed new mine in Northern Ontario. The appointment was made by Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent and Ontario’s Minister of the Environment John Wilkinson on August 9.
As a member of the three-person panel, Professor Byer will consider if the proposed Marathon Platinum Group Metals and Copper Mine Project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects on the region. The panel’s final report will lay out its conclusions and also offer recommendations on how best to assess the environmental impact of the project. The review is mandated under both the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act.
Professor Byer’s research focuses on improving the consideration of climate change in infrastructure planning. In 2004, he completed a project for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) on methods for addressing climate change uncertainties in project assessments. He recently completed a second project for CEAA on decision-making under uncertainties for adapting to climate change in project planning.
The panels review focuses on a proposal by Stillwater Canada Inc. to develop and operate an open pit mine and mill for extracting and processing ore containing copper and platinum group metals. The mine will be located approximately 10 kilometres north of the town of Marathon, which is located on the north shore of Lake Superior in Northern Ontario.
Professor Byer has previously served on numerous advisory committees for governments and the private sector. He was Chair of the Province of Ontario Environmental Assessment Advisory Committee, which received the J.R. Dymond Public Service Award from the Federation of Ontario Naturalists in 1992 “in recognition of distinguished public service resulting in exceptional environmental achievement.” In addition, Professor Byer has participated on a waste management advisory group to Toronto’s City Council and was the technical advisor on risk assessment to the federal panel that reviewed the environmental assessment of the Confederation Bridge project.
