technical report on the nechalacho deposit, thor lake project ...

Surficial Geology
The landscape of the project area shows evidence of glacial and post-glacial activity (Stantec
2010). Large parts of the area consist of bedrock outcrops, while the remainder is consists of
discontinuous veneers and blankets of till and organic matter overlying bedrock, and lakes and
streams. Soils consist of post-glacial and glaciofluvial deposits. A majority of the soils are
mineral in nature. A total of eight soil types were identified and mapped. The active layer varies
between 40 and 200 cm in thickness.
Ecosystems
The regional study area was defined as a region of 15 km radius around the Thor Lake site,
while the detailed ecosystem mapping was conducted around a local study area of 1,780 ha
around the site. Mapping was carried out using remote sensing and field programs. The results
show that the regional study area is composed of 11,200 ha of coniferous forest ecosystems,
4,527 ha of treed fern ecosystems, 8,761 ha of wetlands, and 5,693 ha of deciduous dominated
or mixed forest types. One hundred and forty seven plant species including mosses and lichens
were documented in the survey of the study area. One rare plant Polypodium virginianum was
identified 100 to 150 m from the eastern shore of long lake.
The project area is inhabited by birds, mammals, insects, amphibians and one species of
reptile. Fifteen species of wildlife were chosen as key indicators based on conservation status,
occurrence, sustenance value, socio-economic value and ecological value. They included four
species of mammal and eleven species of bird.
EBA identifies potential effects to fish habitat and suggests some mitigation measures. Potential
effects include degradation or loss of habitat, alteration of soil and permafrost conditions,
changes to ecosystem composition due to emissions of dust, nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide.
Mitigation measures include minimization of project footprint area, compliance with MVLWB
terms, implementation of erosion control, use of dust suppressants, utilization of low-sulphur
diesel, and a co-operative approach involving First Nations and wildlife regulators.
Seismic Evaluation
Knight Piésold of North Bay, Ontario was retained by Avalon to perform tailings and water
management designs for the pre-feasibility study. As a part of the study they performed a
seismic evaluation of the Thor Lake and Pine Point sites. The following information is taken from
Knight Piésold’s <strong>report</strong>.
The central region of the Northwest Territories where the project is located is historically a quiet
earthquake zone; only a few minor seismic events (magnitude of four or below) have happened
in the area between 1627 and 2007. Major historic seismic events (magnitude as high as
Technical Report 43-101 – March 13, 2011 Page 18-97
Prepared by Avalon Rare Metals Inc.