Report of On-Site Assessment of Proposed Rock Quarry ...

Report of On-Site Assessment of Proposed Rock Quarry – Northern Vancouver Island

Lot 4 Quarry Mineral Claim 604972, Nahwitti 9

Claim Holder: Nahwitti Land Holdings No. 1 Ltd.

Property Owner:

Simon D. C. Harvey , Pemberton, BC

Lot Identifier: Lots 4 and 5, North ½ of South West ¼, Section 4, Township 34, Rupert Land District

Submitted To:

Ministry of Energy and Mines

Prepared By: ECL Environmental Solutions

13-991 Hornby St. Vancouver BC V6Z 1V3

Prepared For: Rupert Peace Power Holdings

#1200 – 999 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6C 2W2

Author: James H. Place, P.Geo., Senior Geologist, ECL Environmental Solutions

Date of Original Report:

April 20, 2011 (Re-Submitted September 7, 2011)

ldegroot

Text Box

BC Geological Survey Assessment Report 32763

Lot 4 Quarry RPPH Report of On-Site Visual Assessment of Proposed Rock Quarry – Northern Vancouver Island September 2012

▪ VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA ▪ www.eclenvironmental.ca

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................... I

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................. I

1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1

2.0 QUALIFICATIONS OF AUTHOR ................................................................................................ 2

3.0 LETTER TO SIMON HARVEY .................................................................................................... 3

APPENDIX I – STATEMENT OF COSTS ................................................................................................. 9

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1: TAKEN FROM THE ACCESS ROAD, NEAR THE EAST BOUNDARY OF LOT 4 LOOKING SOUTHWEST AT THE PROPOSED LAY

DOWN AREA. NOTE THE VEGETATION AND TOPOGRAPHY. ................................................................................ 4

FIGURE 2: MINERAL TENURES ............................................................................................................................ 5

FIGURE 3: LOCATION MAP ................................................................................................................................. 6



1

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The following report was produced as part of an initial assessment of the South West ¼ of Section 4, Township 34 in the Rupert Land District. This land is proposed as a rock quarry, producing rock fill, rip rap, and aggregates for construction projects in the local area. The general location of the proposed mine is northern Vancouver Island, approximately 36 kilometers north west of the town of Port Hardy. Access is available from the Nahwitti West Forest Service Road (FSR 5490). The property is made up of two lots – Lot 4 and Lot 5 – and is owned by Mr. Simon Harvey of Pemberton, BC who purchased the land in 2002 and 2004. Mr. Harvey has constructed road access to the property and carried out logging and saw milling activities on the land up until 2010. Lots 4 and 5 are located within Mineral Claim 604972, which is held by Nahwitti Land Holdings No. 1 Ltd, issued on May 26, 2009. The name of the Claim is Nahwitti 9 and it is 510.49 hectares in size. Work carried out for the following report included visual observations and assessment of access, vegetation, topography, overburden, and quality of exposed bedrock in order to evaluate the feasibility of developing a rock quarry on site and to determine the amount of additional study and testing that will be required to advance the project.



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2.0 QUALIFICATIONS OF AUTHOR

James H. (Jim) Place, P. Geo is a member in good standing of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia since November, 1992. He has carried out exploration, testing, and development of aggregate mines for more than 25 years in British Columbia. Mr. Place holds the position of Senior Geologist with ECL Environmental Solutions and has been in this position since January, 2011.



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3.0 LETTER TO SIMON HARVEY

April 20, 2011

Mr. Simon Harvey 8891 Pemberton Meadows Road Pemberton, BC V0N 2C2 Re: North Island – Aggregate Quarry and Sand/Gravel Pit

In April 2011, Environmental Solutions (ECL) was retained to carry out reconnaissance level aggregate assessments on a proposed rock quarry and sand/gravel pit adjacent to a major wind energy development project located north of Port Hardy British Columbia on Vancouver Island. The Wind power project will require significant quantities of high quality concrete for foundations of the wind turbine towers and the cranes that are used in erection of the turbines. Due to the isolated location of the project there are currently no established sources of concrete or aggregates within a reasonable and economical hauling distance. Based on the initial assessments conducted in 2008 and follow up assessments conducted in 2011 by ECL, the work completed to date is discussed below in terms of feasibility and development potential as aggregate and sand supply for concrete substrata during the project development.

Concrete Production for Wind Power Projects – North Vancouver Island The following described rock quarry and sand/gravel pit have been proposed, by the owner and permit holder, to provide high quality concrete aggregates and a concrete batch plant location for the construction of wind power generation projects in the North Vancouver Island area. Granite Quarry and Batch Plant: Lots 4 and 5 Private land owned by Mr. Simon Harvey of Pemberton, B.C. and within Mineral Claim #604972. Location and Access The proposed quarry and batch plant development is located approximately 36 kilometres west of Port Hardy near the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Access to the site is from Forest Service roads turning north off the Holberg Road near Nahwitti Lake. Testing Information In 2008 Levelton Consultants Ltd of Richmond, BC carried out standard aggregate tests on samples of rock taken from outcrops during road construction through the property. The results of this testing indicate that aggregates produced from the rock on the property meet or exceed all CSA specifications for coarse concrete aggregate. The rock is sound, durable, and non-reactive when used in Portland cement concrete.



4

Results of On-Site Inspection The site was visited on April 14, 2011 by Jim Place, P.Geo. of ECL Environmental Solutions Inc. (ECL). The area consists of two adjacent properties containing 160 acres each (approximately 65 Hectares). There have been several side borrow quarries developed on and near the properties to provide rock for the road construction. The rock in these quarries is predominantly granitic and varies in quality due to a degree of weathering, rock types, and degree of natural fracture. The eastern half (Lot 4) contains the rock that is least weathered and higher in quality based on visual examination. More than half of Lot 4 consists of relatively level ground with many outcrops (see Figure 1). Overburden is predominantly coarse organic peat and glacial till of varying thickness. The surrounding area, including the private land, has been extensively logged in recent years and contains little standing timber. The main vegetation is moss and shrubs with timber limited to the area surrounding the stream that crosses (approximately) between the two lots. Figure 1: Taken from the access road, near the east boundary of Lot 4 looking southwest at the

proposed lay down area. Note the vegetation and topography.



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Figure 2: Mineral Tenures



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Figure 3: Location Map



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Development Recommendations Both of the proposed quarry properties are suitable for the production of road construction fill and base materials. The eastern property (Lot 4) is suitable for production of concrete aggregates, based on laboratory testing and on-site inspection. A suitable area exists to set up aggregate production, stockpiling, and concrete batching facilities adjacent to the existing access road. Quarrying can take place directly adjacent to the access road working into the natural slope of the rock. The gradual slope and relatively flat top to Lot 4 make quarrying relatively easy by allowing easy access for drilling equipment and good back-wall height control. Aggregate production equipment would consist of primary and secondary crushers and a screening plant in order to produce several gradations of aggregate. Washing of aggregates may be required and there are several water sources nearby for wash water as well as numerous locations where settling ponds can be easily constructed. If natural sand is required for concrete this can be hauled in to the site from a known source approximately 9 kilometres to the south. The sand source is on Crown land and is currently held under an Investigative Use Permit (IUP) by Mr. Harvey. A description of the material at this source follows. Gravel/ Sand Pit - Natural Sand Source The natural sand source is located adjacent to the Nahwitti West Forest Road (FSR5490) approximately 8.5 kilometres north of the Holberg Road, between the road and the Nahwitti River. The area has been logged in the past 20 years and contains juvenile coniferous trees and deciduous shrubs. The vegetation is thick making access by foot difficult. The IUP holder conducted sampling in 2008 using a tracked excavator to construct a trail and dig test pits in various locations on the property. Representative samples from these test pits were tested by Levelton Consultants Ltd of Richmond BC to evaluate their suitability for coarse and fine concrete aggregates. Testing Information Laboratory testing indicated that the aggregate met or exceeded all specifications for concrete aggregates except for the presence of organic fines and excessive material finer than .08mm. Removal of organic and inorganic fines (minus .08mm) is easily done by selective screening or by washing, which is a normal process when producing concrete aggregates. On-Site Inspection The site was visited on April 14, 2011 by Jim Place, P.Geo. of ECL Environmental Solutions Inc. (ECL). The permitted area consists of an irregularly shaped parcel of land containing approximately 4.3 hectares (10 acres). There appears to have been no significant aggregate extraction from the property in the past. The land is relatively flat, sloping slightly to the east to the river. Development recommendations The property can be developed by accessing directly off the Forest Service Road and proceeding in an easterly direction. Coarse organic material and overburden will need to be removed and stockpiled near the site for use in reclamation. A suitable buffer will be required between the mining area and



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the Nahwitti River. The boundaries of this buffer should be marked to prevent inadvertent encroachment. It is recommended that no washing of aggregates be carried out at the site due to the proximity of the river. If washing is required to meet aggregate specifications then bank run material from this site can be hauled to the aggregate processing facility at the granite quarry described above. Overall Recommendations The above described sites are recommended for providing high quality concrete for the proposed wind power generation projects in the North Vancouver Island area. This recommendation is based on laboratory testing, field inspection, and the economic and social effect of reducing the amount of truck traffic to supply aggregates. Having one concrete batch plant in a strategic location will allow for good product quality control and benefit the projects by allowing accurate estimates of costs for a critical construction component. A single, high quality source of concrete will also reduce the environmental impact footprint for ancillary activities related to the construction phase of the wind power projects. Both sites will be fully reclaimed once construction activities are complete.

James H. Place, P. Geo. Senior Geologist, ECL Environmental Solutions Inc.

13-991 Hornby St. Vancouver BC Canada V6Z 1V3 www.eclenvironmental.ca

http://www.eclenvironmental.ca/



9

APPENDIX I – STATEMENT OF COSTS

Exploration Work type Comment Days

Totals

Personnel (Name)* / Position Field Days (list actual days) Days Rate Subtotal* James Place, Geologist April 13 - 15, 2011 3 $1,500.00 $4,500.00 Kyle Ference, Field Assistant April 13 - 15, 2011 3 $680.00 $2,040.00 $6,540.00 $6,540.00

Office Studies List Personnel (note - Office only, do not include field days) Literature search

$0.00 $0.00

Database compilation

$0.00 $0.00 Computer modelling

$0.00 $0.00

Reprocessing of data

$0.00 $0.00 General research James Place 2.0 $1,200.00 $2,400.00 Report preparation James Place 6.0 $1,200.00 $7,200.00

Other (specify) Drafting and Mapping Kyle Ference 1.5 $680.00 $1,020.00

$10,620.00 $10,620.00

Airborne Exploration Surveys Line Kilometres / Enter total invoiced amount Aeromagnetics

$0.00 $0.00

Radiometrics

$0.00 $0.00 Electromagnetics

$0.00 $0.00

Gravity

$0.00 $0.00 Digital terrain modelling

$0.00 $0.00

Other (specify)

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Remote Sensing Area in Hectares / Enter total invoiced amount or list personnel Aerial photography

$0.00 $0.00

LANDSAT

$0.00 $0.00 Other (specify)

$0.00 $0.00

$0.00 $0.00

Ground Exploration Surveys Area in Hectares/List Personnel Geological mapping

Regional

note: expenditures here Reconnaissance

should be captured in Personnel

Prospect

field expenditures above Underground Define by length and width

Trenches Define by length and width

$0.00 $0.00

Ground geophysics Line Kilometres / Enter total amount invoiced list personnel Radiometrics

Magnetics Gravity Digital terrain modelling Electromagnetics note: expenditures for your crew in the field

SP/AP/EP should be captured above in Personnel IP field expenditures above

AMT/CSAMT Resistivity Complex resistivity



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Seismic reflection Seismic refraction Well logging Define by total length

Geophysical interpretation Petrophysics Other (specify) $0.00 $0.00

Geochemical Surveying Number of Samples No. Rate Subtotal

Drill (cuttings, core, etc.)

$0.00 $0.00 Stream sediment

$0.00 $0.00

Soil note: This is for assays or

$0.00 $0.00 Rock laboratory costs

$0.00 $0.00

Water

$0.00 $0.00 Biogeochemistry

$0.00 $0.00

Whole rock

$0.00 $0.00 Petrology

$0.00 $0.00

Other (specify)

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Drilling No. of Holes, Size of Core and Metres No. Rate Subtotal

Diamond

$0.00 $0.00 Reverse circulation (RC)

$0.00 $0.00

Rotary air blast (RAB)


$0.00 $0.00

$0.00 $0.00

Other Operations Clarify No. Rate Subtotal Trenching

$0.00 $0.00

Bulk sampling

$0.00 $0.00 Underground development

$0.00 $0.00

Other (specify)

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Reclamation Clarify No. Rate Subtotal After drilling

$0.00 $0.00

Monitoring


$0.00 $0.00

Transportation

No. Rate Subtotal

Airfare

$0.00 $0.00 Taxi

$0.00 $0.00

truck rental

$0.00 $0.00

kilometers

978.00 $0.51 $498.78

ATV

$0.00 $0.00 fuel

$0.00 $0.00

Helicopter (hours)

$1,625.00 $0.00 Fuel (litres/hour)

$0.00 $0.00

Other Ferry 2.00 $61.65 $123.30 $622.08 $622.08



11

Accommodation & Food Rates per day Hotel

4.00 $85.50 $342.00

Camp

$0.00 Meals day rate or actual costs-specify 6.00 $30.00 $180.00

$522.00 $522.00

Miscellaneous Telephone

$0.00 $0.00 Other (Specify)

$0.00 $0.00

Equipment Rentals Field Gear (Specify)

$0.00 $0.00 Other (Specify)

$0.00 $0.00

Freight, rock samples

$0.00 $0.00

$0.00 $0.00

$0.00 $0.00

TOTAL Expenditures

$18,304.08

13-991 HORNBY STREET ▪ VANCOUVER, BC ▪ V6Z 1V3 ▪ P: (250) 552-0957 ▪

▪ VANCOUVER, BC ▪ EMERALD BEACH, AUSTRALIA ▪

WWW.ECLENVIRONMENTAL.CA

April 20, 2011

Mr. Simon Harvey

8891 Pemberton Meadows Road

Pemberton, BC V0N 2C2

Re: North Island – Aggregate Quarry and Sand/Gravel Pit

In April 2011, Environmental Solutions (ECL) was retained to carry out reconnaissance level aggregate

assessments on a proposed rock quarry and sand/gravel pit adjacent to a major wind energy

development project located north of Port Hardy British Columbia on Vancouver Island. The Wind

power project will require significant quantities of high quality concrete for foundations of the wind

turbine towers and the cranes that are used in erection of the turbines. Due to the isolated location of

the project there are currently no established sources of concrete or aggregates within a reasonable

and economical hauling distance.

Based on the initial assessments conducted in 2008 and follow up assessments conducted in 2011 by

ECL, the work completed to date is discussed below in terms of feasibility and development potential

as aggregate and sand supply for concrete substrata during the project development.

Concrete Production for Wind Power Projects – North Vancouver Island

The following described rock quarry and sand/gravel pit have been proposed, by the owner and permit

holder, to provide high quality concrete aggregates and a concrete batch plant location for the

construction of wind power generation projects in the North Vancouver Island area.


Environmental Solutions 2 of 5

Granite Quarry and Batch Plant: Lots 4 and 5

Private land owned by Mr. Simon Harvey of Pemberton, B.C. and within Mineral Claim #604972.

Location and Access: The proposed quarry and batch plant development is located approximately 36

kilometres west of Port Hardy near the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Access to the site is from

Forest Service roads turning north off the Holberg Road near Nahwitti Lake.

Testing Information:

In 2008 Levelton Consultants Ltd of Richmond, BC carried out standard aggregate tests on samples of

rock taken from outcrops during road construction through the property. The results of this testing

indicate that aggregates produced from the rock on the property meet or exceed all CSA specifications

for coarse concrete aggregate. The rock is sound, durable, and non-reactive when used in Portland

cement concrete.

Results of On-Site Inspection:

The site was visited on April 14, 2011 by Jim Place, P.Geo of ECL Environmental Solutions Inc (ECL). The

area consists of two adjacent properties containing 160 acres each (approx 65 Hectares). There have

been several side borrow quarries developed on and near the properties to provide rock for the road

construction. The rock in these quarries is predominantly granitic and varies in quality due to a degree

of weathering, rock types, and degree of natural fracture. The eastern half (Lot 4) contains the rock

that is least weathered and higher in quality based on visual examination.

More than half of Lot 4 consists of relatively level ground with many outcrops (see Figure 1).

Overburden is predominantly coarse organic peat and glacial till of varying thickness. The surrounding

area, including the private land, has been extensively logged in recent years and contains little standing

timber. The main vegetation is moss and shrubs with timber limited to the area surrounding the

stream that crosses (approximately) between the two lots.



Figure 1: Taken from the access road, near the east boundary of Lot 4 looking southwest at the proposed lay

down area. Note the vegetation and topography.

Development Recommendations:

Both of the proposed quarry properties are suitable for the production of road construction fill and

base materials. The eastern property (Lot 4) is suitable for production of concrete aggregates, based

on laboratory testing and on-site inspection. A suitable area exists to set up aggregate production,

stockpiling, and concrete batching facilities adjacent to the existing access road. Quarrying can take

place directly adjacent to the access road working into the natural slope of the rock. The gradual slope

and relatively flat top to Lot 4 make quarrying relatively easy by allowing easy access for drilling

equipment and good back-wall height control.

Aggregate production equipment would consist of primary and secondary crushers and a screening

plant in order to produce several gradations of aggregate. Washing of aggregates may be required and

there are several water sources nearby for wash water as well as numerous locations where settling

ponds can be easily constructed.



If natural sand is required for concrete this can be hauled in to the site from a known source

approximately 9 kilometres to the south. The sand source is on Crown land and is currently held under

an Investigative Use Permit (IUP) by Mr. Harvey. A description of the material at this source follows.

Gravel/ Sand Pit - Natural Sand Source:

The natural sand source is located adjacent to the Nahwitti West Forest Road (FSR5490) approximately

8.5 kilometres north of the Holberg Road, between the road and the Nahwitti River. The area has been

logged in the past 20 years and contains juvenile coniferous trees and deciduous shrubs. The

vegetation is thick making access by foot difficult. The IUP holder conducted sampling in 2008 using a

tracked excavator to construct a trail and dig test pits in various locations on the property.

Representative samples from these test pits were tested by Levelton Consultants Ltd of Richmond BC

to evaluate their suitability for coarse and fine concrete aggregates.

Testing Information:

Laboratory testing indicated that the aggregate met or exceeded all specifications for concrete

aggregates except for the presence of organic fines and excessive material finer than .08mm. Removal

of organic and inorganic fines (minus .08mm) is easily done by selective screening or by washing, which

is a normal process when producing concrete aggregates.

On-Site Inspection:

The site was visited on April 14, 2011 by Jim Place, P.Geo of ECL Environmental Solutions Inc (ECL). The

permitted area consists of an irregularly shaped parcel of land containing approximately 4.3 hectares

(10 acres). There appears to have been no significant aggregate extraction from the property in the

past. The land is relatively flat, sloping slightly to the east to the river.

Development recommendations:

The property can be developed by accessing directly off the Forest Service Road and proceeding in an

easterly direction. Coarse organic material and overburden will need to be removed and stockpiled

near the site for use in reclamation. A suitable buffer will be required between the mining area and

the Nahwitti River. The boundaries of this buffer should be marked to prevent inadvertent

encroachment.

It is recommended that no washing of aggregates be carried out at the site due to the proximity of the

river. If washing is required to meet aggregate specifications then bank run material from this site can

be hauled to the aggregate processing facility at the granite quarry described above.

Overall Recommendations:

The above described sites are recommended for providing high quality concrete for the proposed wind

power generation projects in the North Vancouver Island area. This recommendation is based on



laboratory testing, field inspection, and the economic and social effect of reducing the amount of truck

traffic to supply aggregates. Having one concrete batch plant in a strategic location will allow for good

product quality control and benefit the projects by allowing accurate estimates of costs for a critical

construction component. A single, high quality source of concrete will also reduce the environmental

impact footprint for ancillary activities related to the construction phase of the wind power projects.

Both sites will be fully reclaimed once construction activities are complete.

James H. Place, P. Geo.

Senior Geologist, ECL Environmental Solutions

Inc.

13-991 Hornby St. Vancouver BC Canada V6Z 1V3

www.eclenvironmental.ca

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