A major company involved in the Ring of Fire has passed the first step towards moving forward.
The Ministry of the Environment confirmed on Friday they had accepted an amended environmental assessment terms of reference submitted by Noront Resources for their proposed Eagle’s Nest mine.
The terms of reference is the first step in the environmental assessment process. It serves as a work plan that outlines the studies and consultations the company most conduct to determine whether the mine will have proper protection for environmental and human health.
Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle said the approval of the terms of reference is a good sign for the project.
“Ontario supports sustainable development in the Ring of Fire that strikes the right balance between environmental protection and resource development. The decision by Ontario’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change to approve the Terms of Reference for the Environmental Assessment for Noront’s Eagles Nest project with amendments is a positive step forward in the Ring of Fire," he said in a statement.
"The environmental assessment process helps ensure public concerns are heard, First Nation communities and the public are consulted and potential natural, social, economic and cultural environmental impacts are taken into account."
Noront first submitted their terms of reference document to the province in April 2012 for a proposed nickel, platinum and palladium mine within the Ring of Fire.
It took more than three years before the province accepted an amended version of the terms of reference.
The amendments include identifying and assessing alternative road alignments within the corridor, providing specific opportunities for First Nations to participate in the company’s environmental assessment, assessing impacts of aggregate extraction and considering the impacts of climate change on the project, as well as impact of the project on climate change.
The province accepting the terms of reference only impacts the Eagle’s Nest mine, not the chromite deposits Noront acquired from Cliffs Natural Resources earlier this year.
