Eastern Shore gold megaproject faces federal impact assessment

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada will require a federal review of St Barbara's 15-Mile Processing Hub, a gold-mining project spanning three open-pit sites on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. The Australian company called the decision duplicative and disappointing, saying it undermines the one project, one review approach championed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and supported by the province. Local councillor Scott Beaver welcomed the move, arguing Ottawa will assess risks to the St. Mary's River salmon habitat more thoroughly. The agency received more than 500 public submissions and flagged possible effects on fish, migratory birds and Indigenous rights before deciding.