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Arctic Bay fears allayed, for now

Nanisivik officials answer questions

Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Arctic Bay (Feb 04/02) - The mayor of Arctic Bay is feeling better about the pending cleanup of Nanisivik Mine following last month's public meeting with mine staff.

Joanasie Akumalik said last week mine officials adequately calmed anxieties community members had about contaminants and infrastructure -- for the time being at least.

Akumalik said he had expected the 95 residents at the meeting to express more concerns and ask more hard-hitting questions of the 10 mine officials in attendance.

But following a 45-minute presentation from Nanisivik's environmental superintendent, Steve Keenan, the community appeared to feel confident the mine is heading in the right direction.

"Nanisivik did very well," explained Akumalik. "They made a presentation and the public understood very well from that presentation what they're planning to do," he said.

As announced by owner Breakwater Resources last year, the 25-year-old zinc mine will shut down in September. The company must submit a cleanup plan to the Nunavut Water Board for approval by Feb. 28.

The closure means a loss of jobs for people in Arctic Bay -- the community lies adjacent to Nanisivik -- and brings the future of the mine's buildings and equipment into question.

Akumalik said residents want to see some sort of training centre established once the mine is abandoned, and a yet-to-be-formed community working group will look into the matter.

Akumalik said he also plans to hit community radio airwaves to get a better sense of what residents want.

Furthermore, the mayor said a full-time community liaison officer will be hired to work with the hamlet and the mine on addressing employment during the cleanup and remediation of the mine.

Nanisivik general manager Bill Heath said he is pleased so many people came to the nearly four-hour meeting. He agreed with Akumalik about the success of the event and said it helped ease people's minds.

"They expressed concern about the environmental issue and the fact that we have an obligation to undertake the cleanup when we leave. We agreed," said Heath.