Kemess Hearings Resume Today

Monday, May 14, 2007 03:59 AM

The Joint Review Panel for the proposed Kemess North Copper-Gold Mine Project resumes hearings today in Smithers.

The hearings are scheduled for today, through the 18th.

The additional sessions were arranged to ensure the Gitxsan House of Nii Kyap and the Tse Keh Nay were able to participate in the process.

The Panel intends to hold hearings specifically to obtain additional information from First Nations, particularly new information on traditional use and socio-economic conditions. The hearings will also provide an opportunity to other parties who may wish to provide final submissions to the Panel in person. Final submissions may also be submitted in writing.

The hearing will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Hudson Bay Lodge in Smithers. Anyone interested in the hearings, but unable to attend in person, can listen to the proceedings which are being webcast (audio only) live. You must register at this link in order to hear the proceedings on the internet.

Northgate Minerals Corporation proposes to develop the Kemess North copper and gold deposit, 250 km northeast of Smithers. The proposed project would be located 6 km north of its existing Kemess Mine, which is projected to close in late 2009. The Project includes development of a new open pit, modification of the existing mill, and related infrastructure. The Project would result in present day milling capacity at the operating Kemess mine being increased from the current 55,000 tonnes per day to up to 120,000 tonnes per day.

The most controversial aspect of the development is the use of Duncan (Amazay) Lake as a tailings pond.

The Panel's Terms of Reference require the final report to be submitted to Ministers within 60 days following the close of the hearings.

Previous Story - Next Story

Email |

Print |

Facebook |

Twitter |

Digg |

Del.icio.us

Posted on Monday, May 14, 2007 03:59 AM in News by 250 News

Return to Home

Comments

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on May 14 2007 7:16 AM

I was in that area with geologists in 1990 when there was nothing around. There was no "tradition" use of the area by anyone, the place had only recently come out from underneath the ice age. Any native passing through that area in the last 5,000 years was heading for someplace else.

I don't agree with a process catering to imaginative stories by native groups that claim the area is suddenly important or was ever of vital use to them. The whole process has evolved in a feast for the lawyers and nothing else. Oh, and one must not forget the "eco" green groups that don't miss an opportunity to use the "native issue" for their own money raising purposes.

Posted by: ammonra on May 14 2007 8:29 AM

So, we are to believe from Yama that, although aboriginal people to the north of the area in the Yukon and NWT have traditionally used the land and forests, that the area wanted for the mine was nevr used by first nations. Every other inch of North America was used, but that area was not! Yeah, right!

I don't think Yama ever saw me working in my garden in PG, does that mean I never had one?

Posted by: Chadermando on May 14 2007 10:33 PM

IMO a vote of support for Kemess is a vote to subsidize a mining company ownership group to the tune of a poisoned watershed for hundreds of generations into the future for thousands of years.

A proper tailing pond is the cost of doing business and in BC we should not accept anything less. Mine or no mine.