Noront sets out Ring of Fire plans

Thursday March 31, 2011

Nibinamik’s Don Sofea is concerned about the impact Noront Resources Ltd.’s proposal to transport mineral concentrate to Savant Lake could have on his traditions.

“If I fast right in the centre of where the development is going to be, that is a spiritual abuse,” said the Nibinamik health director. “That means I’m being disturbed from my own wilderness for healing. That is why they need to consult everyone, because everybody has a different way of surviving. Some may be fishermen, some may be hunters, some may be in the line of healing and wellness.”

Noront delivered a presentation March 24 in Nibinamik on its plans for the Eagle’s Nest deposit in the Ring of Fire, which were filed March 23 with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, and Forestry. The plan calls for the mineral concentrate to be transported along an existing winter-road corridor to a railhead at Savant Lake.

Sofea also raised concerns about economic benefits for community members and community consultation requirements.

“In our community, most of our youth are not employed,” Sofea said.

Sofea said the whole community needs to be consulted, including the youth.

“I have to be told this is the plan, this is what is going to happen and all the whole nine yards,” Sofea said. “With a membership of 500, everyone has to be notified.”

Noront plans to pump concentrate in a slurry mixture with water along a proposed 100-kilometre buried pipeline to a site about 20 kilometres south of Webequie, which would be called Webequie Junction. The concentrate would be filtered and dried in a proposed plant at Webequie Junction before being shipped out on trucks along a proposed all-season road built on an existing Ministry of Natural Resources winter-road corridor to an existing railhead at Savant Lake.

Webequie Chief Cornelius Wabasse said his community does not have any comments on Noront’s proposed plans at the present time. The chiefs of Neskantaga, Nibinamik and Marten Falls could not be reached before the paper went to press.

Noront president and CEO Wes Hanson was unavailable for comment.

Noront’s plans also call for construction of a diesel generating station at Webequie Junction as well as a power line and winter road from the generating station to the Eagle’s Nest deposit.

The company’s project description is posted online at www.norontresources.com.

Hanson said the project description launches the permitting process for development of the Eagle’s Nest deposit.

“This is the first step of the permitting process and establishes a starting point for future consultation regarding infrastructure and mine development of the Eagle’s Nest deposit with the local First Nation communities as well as local, provincial and federal government agencies,” he said.

The project description proposes an underground mine and mill complex capable of processing one million tonnes of ore per year. High-grade nickel, copper, platinum and palladium ore were discovered in the Eagle’s Nest deposit.

http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2011/3/31/noront-sets-out-ring-fire-plans_21262