Frequently Asked Questions
Rare earth separation plant
This section is designed to provide clear and transparent answers to the main questions surrounding our proposed rare-earth metals separation plant in Sept-Îles. This section will be regularly updated to reflect your concerns and to share the most recent project developments.
If you have any other questions or comments, please feel free to email us at: information@torngatmetals.com
Vision, Location & Community Benefits
What is the vision behind the Sept-Îles project?
Our vision is to build a responsible and sustainable rare earths industry outside China. Essential to the energy transition, rare-earth elements are required for permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles. By developing this project in Sept Îles, we are seeking to contribute to Quebec’s strategic independence, and that of Canada as a whole, while positioning the North Coast region (Côte-Nord) as a key player in this industry of the future.
What benefits do you expect this project to bring to the Sept-Îles community?
We expect this project to generate concrete benefits for the community, including creating high-quality jobs and opportunities for local companies to be part of the supply chain. There will also be major fiscal benefits for the city and the region. We also expect to work closely with educational institutions in developing training programs and local expertise in the areas of clean technology and R&D. We hope to see Sept-Îles become an internally recognized hub in the rare earths industry.
Why did you select Sept-Îles for the separation plant?
Sept Îles offers a number of practical advantages that will help us to smoothly integrate the proposed plant within the existing industrial environment:
- The infrastructure already in place (port, railways, electrical grid) will ensure optimal logistical integration.
- The area is home to a qualified heavy industrial workforce.
- The industrial/mining ecosystem is well established.
- That ecosystem is conducive to local partnerships.
In our view, this project is a direct continuation of the city’s ongoing industrial development. At the same time, it offers new expertise focused on the green economy.
Environment
Will your project have an impact on air quality in Sept-Îles?
Complying with air quality standards and minimizing environmental impacts lie at the heart of the Sept-Îles separation plant and will guide all of our technological and design choices.
This project is designed to limit air emissions to the greatest possible extent. All processing activities will take place within facilities equipped with dust collectors, purifiers and other high-performance systems. The tailing facility is designed and will be managed in order to limit dust dispersion and environmental risks.
An independent atmospheric modeling study will be conducted by AtkinsRéalis, an engineering firm, to accurately measure actual impacts and to recommend follow-up and mitigation measures. The complete modelling results will be presented within an environmental impact study slated for publication in early 2026.
Will your project have any health impacts for local residents?
The health of both residents and workers is a top priority and will be taken into consideration at every stage of the project. We are already working with Quebec’s public health authorities and with the health department to ensure that all standards are met. A comprehensive assessment of the radiotoxic risks will be conducted within the environmental impact study, in accordance with the government’s official procedure. These steps will ensure that the project is safe for local residents.
Will your project affect Lac des Rapides?
No. Torngat Metals does not plan to take any water from Lac des Rapides or to release any effluent into it. The plant’s industrial water needs will be supplied by Lac Hall, via the local water and port authority (SFP Pointe-Noire). In addition, the plant will operate in a closed circuit, with no wastewater released into the environment.
Tailing Management
As regards the plant tailings, what will their radioactivity level be? How will you make sure that the radioactivity level remains within safe limits?
The minerals extracted at the mining site will contain negligible quantities of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), i.e. the same elements found naturally in many rocks in our environment.
Based on our preliminary analyses, the radioactivity level of the plant tailings will remain well below the safety thresholds established by Health Canada’s Guidelines for the Management of NORM):
- For the general population: less than 0.3 mSv per year, which is well below the public dose limit of 1 mSv per year set by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
- For workers: less than 1 mSv per year, which corresponds to the public dose limit and to our target dose for workers. Our As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) target of 1 mSv per year for our workers is well below the annual dose limit of 20 mSv per year set by the CNSC for occupationally exposed workers.
Will your project increase the levels of radon measured in the basements of homes in Sept-Îles ?
No. The negligible quantities of radon present in the tailings will not impact any residential areas, particularly given that element’s short half-life and its reduced capacity to permeate the environment.
It should be noted that we are closely monitoring radon concentrations in our mining operations by means of real-time measurements. These confirm that radon levels are significantly lower than the Canadian guideline of 200 Bq/m³.
Will your mine waste (tailings) have any environmental impacts? How will the tailings be processed, stored and secured in order to reduce the environmental footprint?
The waste management strategy is under development but will be in line with international best practices. The tailings will initially be dehydrated and stabilized. They will then be dry-stacked, which significantly reduces environmental risks. The storage area will be equipped with multi-layered protection systems, including a geomembrane, a clay barrier and leak detectors.
This approach will keep the tailings secure while minimizing the environmental footprint and facilitating gradual site rehabilitation.
Will the mining waste be recycled?
Waste recycling is being evaluated but is not part of the project in its current form. However, we will continue to assess all recycling options. It is also important to note that the Quebec government requests that all recycling opportunities be explored to reduce each project’s environmental impacts, especially by reducing the amount of waste.
If recycling is indeed possible, a corresponding assessment of the impacts and mitigation measures should be developed. In addition, permits and additional authorizations would be required and should be requested. Going forward, a recycling project should have a positive impact on the environment.
Logistics & Operations
How will ore transportation be handled?
The transportation plan under consideration relies on safe, time-honoured solutions tailored to geographic realities. The ore concentrate will be packed into bags and loaded into sealed shipping containers. It will then be transported by truck along a one-lane road leading from the Strange Lake mining site to a floating port in Labrador; it will then shipped to Sept-Îles.
Additional information on the access road and port is available on our website: Access road and port – Torngat Metals.
Will your project involve the production of any uranium or thorium?
No. There are no plans to produce any uranium or thorium. The separation plant is exclusively dedicated to four strategic rare-earth metals: dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb), neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), which are essential to the manufacture of permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean technologies. In addition, the separation process will make it possible to recycle a useful by-product (ammonium nitrate) for the fertilizer market (approximately 55,000 tons per year).
How will Torngat Metals' production process for rare earths be more responsible than China's?
The production of rare earths in China has often been associated with high levels of pollution (linked to coal use), less stringent regulations and deficient waste management.
At Torngat Metals, we take a very different approach — one based on responsibility, transparency and sustainability:
- Tailings are stored using the dry stacking method, which is safer for the environment.
- All process water is fully treated and recycled, with no wastewater released.
- All processing is controlled within the facility; open-pit leaching is not used.
- Plant powered by clean and renewable hydroelectricity.
- Governance is aligned with international ESG standards (Equator Principles, International Council on Mining and Metals, International Finance Corporation, and the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative), with independent audits.
Our goal is to build a rare earths industry outside China — one that is responsible, traceable and sustainable — while contributing to the energy transition.
Social Acceptability & Governance
How will your project take social acceptability into account?
We view social acceptability as a process. We consult with and listen to the community in order to incorporate their concerns into the project design.
Our vision is based on three factors:
- Developing the project in consultation with the community while practicing active listening and providing concrete responses to any concerns raised.
- Generating sustainable and significant benefits for local and Indigenous communities.
- Designing a project that minimizes impacts while maximizing benefits for the environment, the economy and the community.
We know that dialogue is essential; we are committed to pursuing this path in a spirit of transparency and collaboration.
Rare earths
Is it true that rare earths are primarily used for weapons and defence applications?
No. Above all, rare earths are critical materials for day-to-day technologies and the energy transition. They play an essential role in the manufacture of permanent magnets used in electrical vehicle motors, wind turbines, industrial robots, medical equipment and in advanced technologies used in our day-to-day lives. These sectors account for the vast majority of global demand.
Although rare earths are also indispensable to certain defence applications — in particular, radars, guidance systems, aircraft engines and secure communication devices — this sector represents only a small fraction of global demand for rare earths.
This segment, therefore, remains marginal, although it plays an essential strategic role in ensuring supply chain resilience and technology sovereignty.
For example, the United States, which has the world’s largest military budget, estimates that defence-related uses account for less than 0.1% of global consumption of rare earths. Even though global demand for defence sector applications could increase in the coming years, it will remain much lower than demand in the industrial and technological sectors.
Page last updated on: November 19, 2025