Galore Creek Mine Project Receives Approval

INFORMATION BULLETIN
For Immediate Release
2007ENV0017-000162
Feb. 22, 2007

Ministry of Environment

VICTORIA – Vancouver-based NovaGold Canada Inc. (the proponent) has received a provincial environmental assessment certificate for its proposed Galore Creek copper-gold-silver mine project located about 150 km northwest of Stewart, following a comprehensive review led by B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office (EAO).

The project also triggered a comprehensive study review under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). The Environmental Assessment Office and federal agencies have harmonized the environmental assessment process and prepared a joint Assessment Report/federal Comprehensive Study Report for decision makers.

The joint report concludes that no significant residual effects are anticipated from the perspective of provincial and federal government agencies as a result of the project.The provincial environmental assessment certificate contains 193 project-specific commitments that the proponent must implement throughout the various phases of the project. Some key commitments include:

· Assessing water treatment options for operations and post closure, including, but not limited to, a water treatment plant.

· Maintaining intensive receiving environment, aquatic, fisheries and wildlife monitoring programs throughout the life of the mine and developed in co-operation with university researchers, Canadian and U.S. federal agencies, B.C. and Alaska State government agencies and the Tahltan Central Council to ensure water quality and aquatic, fisheries and wildlife resources are not impacted by the project and are protected for future generations.

· Continue conducting environmental monitoring (collection and analysis of water, sediment, and biota, combined with chronic and acute toxicity testing of appropriate organisms in the receiving waters) throughout the life of the mine to ensure that downstream environments are not impacted by effluent discharged from the project.

· Developing a long-term maintenance and mitigation strategy for the tailings impoundment dam and spillway for both operations and closure.

· Developing a wildlife mitigation and monitoring plan to identify measures to mitigate wildlife effects.

The Tahltan Nation and the proponent reached a Participation Agreement on Feb. 10, 2006.

The proponent estimates the capital cost to be $1.6 billion. The project will create up to 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and approximately 500 direct employees during the operations phase. Construction is expected to take more than three years and, once in production, the mine is expected to operate for more than 20 years. Production capacity is expected to be up to 65,000 tonnes per day.

As the project is subject to a comprehensive study level of review under CEAA, the joint report was made available for public review prior to a federal decision being made on the Project. The public review period was held from Jan. 19, 2007 to Feb. 19, 2007. Also, the proponent is required to obtain the necessary provincial and federal permits, licences, approvals and authorizations following receipt of an environmental assessment certificate.

More information on the environmental assessment certificate can be found at www.eao.gov.bc.ca.

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Media contact:

Kate Thompson
Media Relations
250 953-4577