The Black Point Quarry Project (“Project”) consists of the development and operation of a construction aggregate quarry and marine terminal in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. The quarry development and aggregate production will be on an undeveloped, 354-hectare property. The construction and operation of a marine terminal will be adjacent to the quarry in Chedabucto Bay. Processed aggregate will be off-loaded onto Panamax size bulk carriers and transported to ports along the Eastern and Gulf Coast of the United States and potentially to markets in Canada and the Caribbean.
The project site is ideally suited. The location’s proximity to deep water (>14 metres), which is sheltered and ice-free, enables construction of a deepwater marine terminal for aggregate shipment. The Project is anticipated to have capital costs on the order of $80-$110 million and will be a significant employer in Guysborough County throughout the expected 50+ year lifespan of the quarry.
The Project is located on a parcel of land along the south shore of Chedabucto Bay, approximately 4.0 kilometres west of Fox Island in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia (see map below). Entrance to the Project site will be via an unpaved access road to be constructed from provincial Route 16, also called Marine Drive.
Construction aggregates consist primarily of crushed stone, sand and gravel. These resources are critical components for the development and maintenance of modern infrastructure such as roads and buildings. In general concrete is about 80% aggregate, and asphalt is about 94% aggregate. According to the US Geological Survey, the US consumed almost 7 metric tonnes of aggregate per person in 2010.
In the US market, the majority (80% or more) of aggregates are transported by truck from the quarry to the consumer. This form of transport is expensive and limits the typical aggregate operation to a market radius of about 80 kilometres. Coastal markets within the US are increasingly using high volume modes of transportation such as rail and ship to minimize costs. The southeastern US aggregate market is a prime target for bulk transported aggregate due in part to the geologic absence of suitable aggregate resources in coastal areas. For example, the Martin Marietta Materials quarry at Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia shipped nearly 300 vessels of crushed stone to Florida ports between 2004 and 2009 (Archibald Consulting Services, LLC 2009).
The Project is anticipated to have capital costs on the order of $80-$110 million and will be a significant employer in the region. The revenue generated from the Project, over its expected 50+ year lifespan, will provide economic benefit to the people and governments of Guysborough County and Nova Scotia through royalties and taxes paid, dollars invested into goods and services, and indirect dollars that will go into local businesses and services from employees and contractors working on the Project and at the quarry.
In accordance with the requirements of the provincial Pit and Quarry Guidelines, the Proponent will prepare a written plan approved by Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change (formerly Nova Scotia Environment) to provide for partial or total abandonment of the site. It is anticipated that the plan will include an initial rehabilitation plan, progressive rehabilitation measures and / or a final rehabilitation plan. The Proponent will also post interim and final security bonds for the quarry, as required by the Pit and Quarry Guidelines and the Approval and Notification Procedure Regulations. Decommissioning of the Black Point Project is expected to take place after approximately 50 years of operation, although the final closure date has not yet been established.
