ABSTRACT
Monitoring for effects on wildlife is an integral program during the construction and operation of the BHP Ekati Diamond Mine located near Lac de Gras in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Objectives for this program are described in an Environmental Agreement between the operator (BHP) and two governments, however expectations regarding what is monitored, the effort required and the methodology employed varied among various stakeholders. Stakeholders included the operator, government agencies, an Independent Environmental Monitoring Agency (convened specifically for this mine), aboriginal groups, and non-government environmental organizations. A decision process was required to optimize the monitoring plan, given the widely variable expectations of stakeholders. Risk assessment was selected as the framework for this decision process and implementation of the risk-based approach to planning the wildlife effects monitoring program is described in this paper.
