Premier Dwight Ball says now is the time for Inuit leaders and government to meet face-to-face to resolve the impasse over concerns about possible methylmercury contamination at Muskrat Falls.

"We want to get to a table and that's what we're prepared to do," said Ball in an interview with CBC Radio's Labrador Morning.

"We think this is the right time to do it. As the construction at Muskrat Falls continues, the window of opportunity I believe is now to get to that table."

For months, the Nunatsiavut Government has refused a government request to discuss the findings of a report it commissioned from Harvard University that warns the Muskrat Falls dam could cause a spike in methylmercury levels in the Lake Melville area.

The report recommends removing all vegetation and soil from the reservoir before it's flooded to avoid harm to wildlife and the food supply.

Ball wants to discuss those findings, and possible alternatives, in more detail.

"When we get health risks raised we want to look at the information we have available to us to make the best decision." said Ball. "There's some discussion around what information was used so we want to get to a table."

Nalcor Energy, the Crown corporation spearheading the Muskrat Falls megaproject, disagrees with the Harvard report, which says methylmercury levels could rise between 25 to 200 per cent as a result of flooding.

'This is not about compensation'

Clearcutting the reservoir would be expensive, and the updated cost of the Muskrat Falls project has already ballooned to $11.4 billion. But Ball says in this case, money isn't the driving force behind denying the demands of the Nunatsiavut government.

"We haven't factored the cost into the reasons and the decisions that have been made so far," said Ball. "This is, really at this stage, not about the budget impact, this is really about making sure we explore all the options we have available to us."

Government has offered to provide compensation if methylmercury levels rose to a dangerous level, but Labrador Inuit leaders responded with the assertion that the people cannot be bought.

Ball said a buyout is the worst case scenario.

"This is not about compensation," said Ball. "If you put compensation in place, it means you haven't been successful."

Ball said he plans to reach out to Inuit leaders once again with the hope that they will agree to meet.