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First for the Tlicho Chiefs at hearings into Fortune Minerals' planned mineThandiwe Vela Northern News Services Published Monday, Sept. 3, 2012
Fortune Minerals Ltd., the Tlicho Government and a number of community and representatives took part in the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board public hearings in Whati, Yellowknife, and Behchoko for the resource company's NICO gold-cobalt-bismuth-copper project. "We're now at the end of the beginning," said Grand Chief Edward Erasmus. "We had a series of hearings in our region in our community, and the people have expressed their concerns about the project. I guess their main concern would be what would happen if the mine does open? It will change the community drastically and they know that." The proposed underground and open pit mining operation would include an all-weather road the company plans to build to haul material and fuel to the NICO mine site, located about 50 km north of Whati, and transport ore out. "I'm not surprised by what the youth are saying, they don't want the changes because they like the quiet, peaceful environment they live in today," Erasmus said, listing potential social impacts such as an influx of drugs and alcohol in the community. Protection of the community's caribou, lakes and water were among the major concerns raised and addressed by Fortune during the hearings. Rick Schryer, Fortune director of regulatory and environmental affairs, said during operations, a reverse osmosis water treatment plant will be used in addition to the construction of a wetlands to treat water naturally at mine closure. "We presented our position on water quality, which is that we'll be protective of the environment, the people will be able to use the land like they always have in the past, and that the water is going to be safe," Schryer said. "It's going to be safe for people, animals, fish, everything ... Our goals aline very much with theirs in terms of what we're predicting will happen versus what they would like to see so we're very confident we've met the requirements from the Tlicho Government and we think we have a clear path forward in terms of water quality." As part of the water licence, monitoring is to be conducted through an Aquatic Affects Monitoring Plan, involving a number of agencies including Environment Canada, Aboriginal Affairs, the Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board, and the Tlicho Government. While an impact benefits agreement has not been negotiated, socio-economic benefits reported by Fortune will include about 269 jobs during the underground and open pit operations, and 188 jobs for the rest of the mine life, expected to be upwards of 15 years. Between 30 and 40 per cent of the jobs are to be held by aboriginal people, Schryer said. The public hearings are the last big phase in the environmental review process. "We're ready to go," Schryer said. "Exploration is done. We have our mine plan, we have all our designs in place, we're ready to go. We're ready to build a mine, so what we need is our permits." The Tlicho Government has until Sept. 15 to submit a traditional knowledge study to the public registry for the project, after which the review board will complete its environmental assessment and submit a report to the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada for a final decision on whether the mine will go ahead. Apart from minor glitches, including plane delays, technical delays with a power outage and late equipment, the public hearings went great, said Richard Edjericon, chair of the board. "This public hearing was to listen to the issues and concerns of the public in regards to Fortune Minerals and that went great," he said. "The project, it's unique, it's different because it's happening in the Tlicho region where they have their own land claim," he added. The review board will likely take between two and four months after the public registry is closed to complete its report and submit its recommendation to the minister, Edjericon said.
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