Decision On Kemess North Close

Thursday, September 13, 2007 03:59 AM

Northgate Minerals will know the future for the Kemess North Project next week.

The Environmental Review Panel is ready to release its recommendation report, four months after the close of the additional round of pubic hearings. The extra hearings were held to gather additional information from First Nations and to provide an opportunity to other parties who may have wanted to provide final submissions to the Panel.

The existing Kemess Mine is expected to close in 2009, the expansion would keep the mine operational for another 14 years. According to Northgate Minerals, the Kemess North deposit, contains a proven and probable reserve of 4.1 million ounces of gold.

Kemess employs approximately 475 people through permanent and contract jobs at the mine. An estimated 950 additional people are employed indirectly by the mining operation throughout BC and Canada.

First Nations had opposed the expansion saying the tailings will destroy Amazay Lake ( Duncan Lake) however, Northgate Minerals says it has developed a complete reclamation plan that will return vegetation and fish to the lake once the ore extraction has been completed.

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Posted on Thursday, September 13, 2007 03:59 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Andyfreeze on September 13 2007 8:29 AM

My guess is no way they will allow them to dump the crap in the lake.
That just isn't done anymore.
For Kemis/Northgate,that is the cheapest and easiest way to do it, but not exactly good for the enviroment.
I bet on NO PERMIT but we will soon see.
If it does by some remote chance get the permit,watch for the war to start!

Posted by: He speaks on September 13 2007 1:42 PM

i have to agree with Andyfreeze. i am all for business and industry. But I think the northgate is trying to take the easy way out. I agree if they get there approval, it will just open up the doors and then what do we end up with. We end up with a barren landscape.

I say no to Northgate, cough up the money and do it right. Metal prices are up, if you want to get it out of the ground, then play by the rules.

Posted by: He speaks on September 13 2007 1:46 PM

Complete reclamation, yeah right. Chances are, they will come back at the end of the project. whoops we ran out of money. sorry about killing everything that is pristine.

I am sure there is a way to do it enviromentally safe and provide more employment for our province. So what if they don't get the metal out of the ground.... is it going to go bad. If they don't want to play by the rules, let someone else who wants to play by the rules get in there.

Posted by: Moses on September 13 2007 5:51 PM

Might be an idea for the naysayers to learn a thing or two about the science and engineering behind acid rock drainage.

Duncan Lake is more contaminated now (by the acid coming naturally off the exposed rock face) than it will ever be under the proposed tails pond arrangement.

If (when) the project gets spiked because of armchair environmentalists and self-serving special interest groups, those same people should keep their mouths shut when there's no jobs in, and no future for, the region.

Posted by: northman on September 15 2007 10:59 AM

Right now its do or die for this reigon. I dont know about you but these red trees arent buying alot of confidence in a positive future at the moment. We must make some sacrafices to the environment. The economic benifits of this project far outweigh the environmental impacts. I agree with Moses 100% anyone who doesnt should educate themselves about leach-cap ores and natural metal occurences in the environment. Logging has done more damage by running extensive road cuts and soil exposure on mineral deposits but this doesnt seem to be a problem to the same people who are against the mining because they are making a living from the forest industry. The groups opposed to this mine who claim they are protectors of the environment are only protecting it for their personal use so they can continue to slaughter countless animals. There are things from both parties that need to be exposed here the problem is Johansen is too far from public eyes so its biased on both sides. As for the armchair environmentalists in vancouver get off your ass and come to the north and see what really drives the economy which you are taking advantage of. We cant all live off paper bag lunches, granola bars and use hybrid vehicles. This province is run off of hard working people, deisl fuel, and the
sacrafice of the land to extract its resources.