Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery – Page 144

Chiefs aim to stop [Ring of Fire] review – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – October 21, 2011)

October 23, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. hcarmichael@thesudburystar.com

First Nations leaders will take ‘ alternative measures’ — perhaps including an injunction — to stop an environmental review of Cliffs Natural Resources’ Black Thor chromite deposit in northwestern Ontario.

The Matawa Chiefs also called on Premier Dalton McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday to stop the review in favour of a joint environment assessment to be done in conjunction with natives.

“We will be forced to resort to alternative measures if Canada and Ontario continue to ignore the First Nations that are being impacted by the Ring of Fire developments,” Chief Roger Wesley of Constance Lake First Nation said in a release Friday. The Matawa Chiefs — who represent 8,000 people in nine Ojibway and Cree communities — held a news conference Friday in Thunder Bay to discuss their concerns.

[Ontario] Cabinet roles change in North – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (October 21, 2011)

October 22, 2011

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

THE NEW Ontario cabinet isn’t new at all; there isn’t a fresh face in it. But two changes are sparking much speculation here in the North.

Michael Gravelle is no longer Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry. He was moved to Natural Resources to which Forestry has been added. This leaves his successor, Sudbury’s Rick Bartolucci, one less thing to look after in Gravelle’s place. It also suggests Premier Dalton McGuinty believes that mining needs undivided attention as exploration increases across the Far North. Bartolucci is also cabinet chair, adding to his stature.

The forest industry is in trouble and, hopefully, adding Forestry back to Natural Resources means the McGuinty government will develop a comprehensive approach to the boreal forest that enhances new commercial opportunities along with recreation and wildlife.

Bartolucci, Gravelle, give North presence at Queens Park – by Brian MacLeod (Sudbury Star – October 22, 2011)

October 22, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has said its development will play a
key role in the province’s recovery from the loss of hundreds
of thousands of manufacturing jobs during the recession. And
mining commentator Stan Sudol says the Ring of Fire has the
potential to end poverty among isolated First Nations bands
within a generation, if it’s managed properly. (Sudbury Star
Managing Editor Brian MacLeod – Oct/22/2011)

Thursday’s cabinet appointments by the Liberal government worked out as well as could be expected for Northern Ontario.

Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci returns to Northern Development and Mines, where he was minister from 2003-07. And Thunder Bay’s Michael Gravelle moves from MNDM to Natural Resources, which also takes over forestry. He replaces Brampton-Springdale MPP Linda Jeffrey.

Stan Beardy, Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Thunder Bay’s chamber of commerce welcomed Gravelle’s appointment, saying he is familiar with the issues affecting the distressed forestry sector.

[Ring of Fire conflict] We won’t be ignored, chiefs warn – by Sudbury Star Staff (Sudbury Star – October 21, 2011)

October 21, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

First Nation communities in the Ring of Fire area are threatening ‘alternative action’ to block a federal environmental assessment of Cliffs Natural Resources’ Black Thor chromite deposit.

In a release Thursday, the Matawa chiefs said they want a joint environmental assessment. The chiefs, who represent nine First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario, want Premier Dalton McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to intervene in the environmental assessment process.

The chiefs have called a news conference Friday to detail their concerns. In their release, the chiefs did not say what alternative action might entail.

“We will be forced to resort to alternative measures if Canada and Ontario continue to ignore the First Nations that are being impacted by Ring of Fire developments,” Chief Roger Wesley of Constance Lake First Nation said in a release.

NEWS RELEASE: NO JOINT REVIEW PANEL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, NO RING OF FIRE DEVELOPMENT SAY MATAWA CHIEFS

October 21, 2011

MEDIA ADVISORY URGENT: Matawa Chiefs to hold Media Conference Friday October 21, 2011

THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO – OCTOBER 21, 2011: Matawa Chiefs withdrew their support for development in the Ring of Fire (ROF) today. The Chiefs and the 8,000 people they represent are calling on Premier McGuinty and Prime Minister Harper to intervene in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process.

“We will be forced to resort to alternative measures if Canada and Ontario continue to ignore the First Nations that are being impacted by Ring of Fire developments,” said Chief Roger Wesley of Constance Lake First Nation.

Matawa Chiefs are outraged that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) is proceeding with a Comprehensive Study EA. The Chiefs and their people have been calling for a Joint Review Panel EA for five months but the government is still not listening. Both the provincial and the federal governments are failing in their constitutional duty to consult and accommodate First Nations. According to the Chiefs, the government is telling them what they plan to do, but it is not consulting or accommodating them about how they want to be involved.

Northern smelter a priority [for Sudbury’s Rick Bartolucci] – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – October 21, 2011)

October 21, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. cmulligan@thesudburystar.com

Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci’s heart has always been in Northern Ontario and now his cabinet post is here, too. Bartolucci was sworn in Thursday as minister of Northern Development and Mines, a post he held earlier in his 16- year career in provincial politics.

He was also named chair of Premier Dalton McGuinty’s cabinet. Bartolucci said the “raison d’etre of just about everything I’ve done in government is about benefiting the lives of Sudburians and northerners, as a minister and a member in opposition and now government.”

Forestry was a part of the Northern Development and Mines ministry for two years, but it has been transferred to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Bartolucci said his priority as Northern Development and Mines minister is to get briefed and brought up to speed on several issues, including the progress of talks to convince Cliffs Resources to set up a chromite smelter in Northern Ontario to process ore from the Ring of Fire.

McGuinty mulls cabinet choices [MNDMF Minister??) – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (October 20, 2011)

October 20, 2011

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

PREMIER Dalton McGuinty will announce the makeup of his new cabinet today. The election took its toll on both former ministers and Liberal strength and this will likely be reflected in a leaner front bench.
Some ministers would appear to remain locks on their portfolios and Michael Gravelle at Northern Development is surely among them. If not, then who?

Seeking a third term with sinking pre-election popularity back in the summer, a number of ministers declined to run again. Most notable among those was Sandra Pupatello, the former economic development and trade minister, who said she needed new challenges after 16 years at Queen’s Park. One of McGuinty’s most impressive ministers, it would not be surprising to see her seek the party leadership when the premier steps down as expected before the next election.

McGuinty also lost other high-profile politicians prior to the vote, including ministers Monique Smith, Gerry Phillips, David Ramsay and Steve Peters, who was speaker.

OMA President is keynote speaker at mining/Aboriginal summit in Timmins

October 19, 2011

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province

Ontario Mining Association President Chris Hodgson will be the keynote speaker at the Mining Ready Summit: Preparing Aboriginal Communities for Mining-Related Business Opportunities in Timmins. This event is being hosted by Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund on October 25 and 26, 2011 at the Days Inn Conference Centre.

The summit is expected to attract more than 150 key mineral sector people, contractors, mine supply and service company representatives, Aboriginal business owners and First Nations community leaders. The goal of the gathering is to help prepare Aboriginal communities for mining related business opportunities. It is hoped participants will bring new knowledge, lessons learned and best practices to the summit and communicate effectively with participants.

Mr. Hodgson is the keynote speaker at the dinner on October 25. He will share the OMA’s vision for the future of mining in Ontario. Global economic forces such as urbanization and the continued developmental paths of nations such as China and India are providing this province with a window of opportunity to meet a lengthy anticipated period of high demand for commodities Ontario can produce.

Commenting period [on Ring of Fire] now open – by Harald Carmichael (Sudbury Star – October 18, 2011)

October 18, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. hcarmichael@thesudburystar.com

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has just launched the first of three public consultation periods for a federal environmental assessment of Cliffs Natural Resources’ Black Thor chromite deposit in the Ring of Fire area of northwestern Ontario.

The agency’s draft Environm e nt a l Impact Statement Guidelines has been prepared and identifies potential environmental effects to be addressed and information that needs to be included in Cliffs’ Environmental Impact Statement. It can be viewed on the agency’s website at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca (Registry reference number 11-03- 63927). The document is also available in print by request.

The deadline to submit a comment with this first round of public input is Nov. 16. The agency is also making $40,000 available under its Participant Funding Program to assist groups and individuals to participate in the environmental assessment. Funding applications received by Nov. 16 will be considered.

NEWS RELEASE: Cliffs Chromite Project: Public Comments Invited and Federal Funding Available

October 17, 2011

OTTAWA – October 17, 2011 – The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) is starting a comprehensive study type of environmental assessment for the proposed Cliffs Chromite Project located in northern Ontario. The Agency invites the public to comment on the project and the conduct of the comprehensive study.

The Agency has prepared the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Guidelines that identify potential environmental effects to be addressed and information that needs to be included in the proponent’s EIS. Public comments on the draft EIS Guidelines are invited and will be reviewed and considered before the document is finalized and issued to the proponent.

The draft EIS Guidelines and more information on this project are available on the Agency’s website at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca (Registry reference number 11-03-63927). The document is available in paper copy by request as well.

Firm [Cliffs Natural Resources] defends environmental review process – by Bryan Meadows (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – October 15, 2011)

October 15, 2011

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

While First Nation leaders and environmentalists continue to have concerns about the approved environmental assessment process for Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.’s Chromite Project, the company maintains that the EA will mean a thorough review of all components of the project.

Some Matawa First Nations chiefs are upset about the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s (CEAA) decision to side with industry by choosing a Comprehensive Study Environmental Assessment (EA) process, instead of a Joint Review Panel EA.

“I don’t understand how the CEAA can make this kind of choice,” Chief Sonny Gagnon of the Aroland First Nation, said in a news release.

“The area being affected is among one of the largest groups of intact wetlands in the world. These Ring of Fire developments are going to impact everyone in the region, one way or another, but especially the First Nations near these developments.

MININGWATCH NEWS RELEASE: Federal Decision Ignores First Nations and Public Input: Likely to Hinder Development in Ontario’s “Ring of Fire”

October 14, 2011

Oct 13, 2011

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency recently announced that Cliffs’ proposed chromite mine, the first for a remote area of northern Ontario, will undergo a ‘comprehensive study’ environmental review despite the request of two First Nations councils and several non-governmental organizations for a public panel review.

The proposed project is a massive and complex undertaking that includes a mine and new infrastructure for transportation, power, and processing. The Matawa and Mushkegowuk First Nations representing 13 individual communities as well as MiningWatch Canada, Ecojustice, Wildlands League, and the Wildlife Conservation Society have all recommended that the project be evaluated through a joint federal-provincial review panel. Friday’s announcement indicated that this will not be the case and that the project will be reviewed through the less rigorous – and less participatory – comprehensive study process.

Cliffs’ project is the most advanced of several projects being developed in the much-touted “Ring of Fire”. If approved, Cliffs’ project would open the entire region and establish the infrastructure for future developments.

MININGWATCH NEWS RELEASE: What Kind of Environmental Assessment for Ontario’s “Ring of Fire”?

October 14, 2011

Oct 12, 2011

The “Ring of Fire” is an area of northern Ontario that has seen a rapid growth in mineral exploration and potential developments in recent years. Two projects, Cliffs’ chromite project and Noront’s copper-nickel project, have filed descriptions with federal authorities – the first step in initiating an environmental assessment. The proponents of the projects have also volunteered to have their projects designated under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (mining projects are not required to undergo an EA in Ontario).

Both projects are large and complex with massive infrastructure development, power supply, and processing facilities that are part of the proposed developments. The projects each propose a different permanent road corridor and a there is a third proposal for a railway.

The concerns about the proposed projects are many and include:

•The way that these first developments will open up the region to additional developments and the cumulative effects of these projects.
•Meeting infrastructure needs of remote First Nations communities;
•Providing meaningful economic development opportunities for First Nations; and northern communities;

Public hearings lacking for Ring of Fire – CBC News Website (October 12, 2011)

October 12, 2011

http://www.cbc.ca/news/

Mining Watch Canada says ‘largely paper process’ shuts out public input

A spokesperson with Mining Watch Canada says the environmental assessment underway for the biggest project in the Ring of Fire will shut many people out. He’s alarmed that public hearings are not being held for Cliffs Natural Resources proposed chromite mine north of Thunder Bay.

“[It’s] largely a paper process of submitting written comments, reviewing documents and providing written feedback back and forth,” said Ramsey Hart, Mining Watch’s program co-ordinator.

He said he can’t understand why the government wouldn’t call public hearings into such a massive project — as it has for a new mine near Marathon.

Cliffs’ project includes the construction and operation of a chromite mine, an all-season road south from the mine to the rail line near Nakina and a smelter, which could be located near Sudbury.

Environmental assessment begins on Cliffs’ [Northern Ontario chromite] project – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – October 12, 2011)

October 12, 2011October 12, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. hcarmichael@thesudburystar.com

For the web’s largest database of articles on the Ring of Fire mining camp, please go to: Ontario’s Ring of Fire Mineral Discovery

A federal environmental assessment is underway for Cliffs Natural Resources’ Black Thor chromite deposit in the Ring of Fire area of northwestern Ontario.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has announced that based on information it has received, an environmental assessment is required. The project, the agency also said in a release, is subject to the environmental assessment requirements of the Ontario government.

Celine Legault, an agency spokeswoman in Ottawa, said Tuesday the assessment could take a year or more, depending on how long Cliffs takes to put together its own environmental impact study.

“We are calling it the Cliffs Chromite Project,” she said. “It will involve the construction, operation and commissioning of one open pit operation with a projected 30-year mine life.”