Moving ahead

A proposed open-pit mine north of Marathon is being scrutinized by both the federal and provincial governments.

On Thursday an independent joint-panel review forged to investigate the environmental impact of the mine, held its seventh and final public notification meeting in Thunder Bay, outlining to interested parties the process going forward.

According to Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency spokeswoman Lucille Jamault, that next step will likely occur next spring, when the proponent, Stillwater Mining Company, submits an environmental impact statement to the three-person panel.

The first of its kind in Ontario, the joint-review panel was appointed when both the federal and provincial governments decided there was enough concern about the proposed platinum and copper mine to warrant further investigation.

“It’s been determined by the federal minister of the environment and the provincial minister of the environment that there is a risk of significant negative environmental affects (from this project), and so before a review is undertaken, we invite the public to come out and get a sense of how these steps are going to evolve.”

Public consultation and public hearings, with the joint-panel review committee present, will be held once the next stage of the process gets under way, she added.

“We will be inviting comments from the public at the time the environmental impact statement comes in, and at the public hearings, and in fact, any time during the review the public is invited to comment.”

The mine will include a waste rock storage area, a mill and a fuel stage area, has seen a few different proposals, and in fact the company is working on options for storing its mine waste, said Colette Spagnuola the co-panel manager of the Marathon Joint Panel Review Secretariat.

The panel will be chaired by New Brunswick scientist Louis Lapierre, who will be joined by Sudbury’s  David Pearson and Toronto’s Phil Byer.

Spagnuola stressed the arm’s length nature of the panel as she spoke to an audience of about 10 on Thursday night, most belonging to the Metis Nation of Ontario.

“At the end of the day, they do prepare a report that is submitted to the government, but they are independent in their work,” she said.

Kevin Muloin, a fishery habitat liaison officer with the MNO, said the organization has an agreement already with Stillwater, and he was just there for observation purposes.

“Our main mandate is to ensure that our Metis way of life and the environment is protected, so of course this process is going forward,” he said, adding he’s not worried about the project as it stands.

“We’ll have to see as we go. I’m happy that they have this extensive process. It’s going to ensure that all aspects are looked at. That doesn’t worry me at all.

“The preliminary plan that was planned for this mine was a bit worrying when they were looking at infilling a lake. But it seems like the more recent plan is a lot more friendly for the environment.”

For more information on the process, email [email protected].