Kemess Panel Releases Decision on Motion

Monday, December 04, 2006 11:08 AM

The Joint Review Panel for the Kemess North Copper-Gold Mine Project has reached a decision on the motion presented by the Gitxsan House of Nii Kyap at a public hearing in Victoria on November 29, 2006.

The Panel says it does not have the power to suspend the process indefinitely. The Panel has unanimously decided to request an extension

to the process. It will ask the federal Minister of the Environment and the BC Minister of Environment to amend the Panel’s Terms of Reference to extend the date for completion of the Panel review process and for delivery of the Panel’s report as follows:

that the process include a period of 90 days, commencing January 1, 2007, to permit time for the parties to resolve outstanding issues related to First Nations participation in the Panel process, and for First Nations to collect additional information and prepare submissions.
that the Terms of Reference be amended to include the option of an additional 45-day hearing period, to follow the 90-day period.
The Gitxsan will receive $30,000 from the Environmental Assessment Office, this is in addition to the $40 thousand already set aside for First Nations by the Provincial Ministry of Mines.
An arbitrator be engaged to work with the Ministries and First Nations to resolve the funding issues

Before making its decision, the Panel considered the merits of the Gitxsan motion which called for the process to be halted The Gitxsan argued they had not been consulted nor did they receive the necessary funding to properly prepare submissions.

The representatives for the Gitxsan say the extension is not long enough, and the funding amounts are too little.

The Panel also concerned the comments received from the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, Northgate Minerals Corporation, and the Tse Keh Nay, as well as other participants who provided comments on the motion.

The Panel also confirmed planned public hearings will proceed as scheduled. At the invitation of the Tse Keh Nay, the Panel will hold public hearings in the community of Kwadacha (Fort Ware), located just north of Williston Lake, from December 5 to 7, 2006.

Northgate Minerals Corporation proposes to develop the Kemess North copper and gold deposit, 250 km northeast of Smithers. The proposed mine would be located 6 km north of its existing Kemess Mine, which is projected to close in late 2009.

The new project includes development of a new open pit, modification of the existing mill, and related infrastructure.

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Posted on Monday, December 04, 2006 11:08 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Chadermando on December 4 2006 5:46 PM

I can not believe the government even considers dumping tailings into a pristine mountain lake at the top of the water flow table. Its unconscionable in a time when global clean water shortages are everywhere.

I would bet in ten years one could make more money and provide more jobs for the north selling containers full of water to Asia via the port of Prince Rupert. More than this copper mine will provide anyways and without the environmental implications.

Posted by: Jeth on December 4 2006 6:21 PM

Time to dust off your high school chemistry textbook Chader.

Posted by: Chadermando on December 5 2006 2:30 AM

Jeth, maybe you should fill us in. I'm always right, because I can admit when I'm wrong. What about you?

Posted by: Jeth on December 5 2006 11:12 AM

http://www.osmre.gov/amdrefs.htm

Like I said Chaddie, organic and inorganic chemistry, not psychology.

Posted by: Chadermando on December 6 2006 1:15 AM

Seems to me simple enought that if you mess around with the PH levels then you are messing around with the organic ability to uptake nutrients disrupting the eco-system that was a fine balance prior to its polution, thus effecting the quality of a wide ranging area if it starts at the top of the watershed. That is a fact. Only one fact, but a very important fact. I don't even need to be a biologist (or chemist lol for that matter) to understand messing the with PH on a large scale is important.

I heard the growing PH levels in the ocean are killing all the crustacions at levels that could see them all extinct in 50 years. So there goes your run off theory.

Unless you can prove it is safe? I don't think it can be proven safe. I value our public water resource more than I value multinational profiters. No psychology about it.