What kind of environmental assessment do you want?

Public Information Session concerning the Environmental Assessment of the proposed Stillwater-Marathon PGM-Cu mine

May 5, 2011, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

St John's United Church

Hosted by Citizens for a Responsible Mine in Marathon

The invitees include: all publicly-funded participants in Phase 1 of the EA including:
Citizens for a Responsible Mine in Marathon, Environment North, Great Lakes
United, Marathon Economic Development Corporation, Métis Nation of Ontario ,
MiningWatch Canada, Northwatch , Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation, Ontario
Coalition of Aboriginal Peoples, Ontario Nature, Pic Mobert First Nation, Pays Plat
First Nation, Red Sky Métis Independent Nation.

The evening will include:

• The opportunity for introductions from all of the funded groups describing their interest in the project
• Q & A session for members of the public to share viewpoints and ask questions of the invited groups.

The Citizens for a Responsible Mine (CRM) supports a rigourous environmental assessment of the proposed mine in which the short- and long-term economic, environmental and social costs and benefits are given careful consideration. Our hope is that an appropriately mandated Review Panel and a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement will lead to the approval of a safe, clean and sustainable mine that benefits this and future generations in our region.

Environmental Assessment takes a big step forward today

Winter hikers/anglers at Bamoos Lake, near proposed mine site, March 2011

The CEAA issued a news release today announcing a harmonized federal-provincial panel review. Entitled "Harmonization Agreement to Establish a Joint Review Panel" the document includes as an appendix the draft "Terms of Reference" for the as yet un-named review panel members. Also made available today are the draft "Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines".

While these documents were being drafted, the Citizens for a Responsible Mine, the Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation and the Lake Superior Binational Forum submitted to the CEAA suggestions for key elements for inclusion.

With the benefit of participant funding from the CEAA, the Citizens for a Responsible Mine has hired an expert consultant to meet with our membership and to review and comment on these documents.

The period for public comment on the draft panel "Terms of Reference" and "Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines" ends on May 9, 2011.

All of the above-mentioned documents, including letters to the CEAA from stakeholder groups, are available through the above link or here:

http://www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca/050/05/documents-eng.cfm?evaluation=54755

Water quality is a significant concern

With the lake dumping option now off the table, we can suppose that, with an effective buffer zone around the lake, Bamoos Lake's native stocks of lake trout and brook trout may survive for another 10,000 years, and beyond.

Our experience with Marathon PGM has brought with it valuable lessons in advocacy, environmental science, Canadian law and the best (and worst) practices of the Canadian mining industry. Moreover, we saw how corporate decision making, weighted heavily in the interests of shareholders - in this case the inexpensive dumping of mine waste into Bamoos - can potentially lead to practices that are in sharp conflict with the interests of the local citizens who depend on a healthy environment.

Members of our group will continue to support a rigourous environmental assessment of the operational and closure plans of the mine. We look forward to seeing Marathon PGM's revised proposals for managing millions of tonnes of potentially toxic mine waste.

Angler Creek.

Because the mine site is so close to Lake Superior, discharge from the tailings areas will have a short run - approximately 6 km - over rocky, high-gradient streams (Angler, Hare, etc) with virtually no mixing before entering the big lake. These streams have no capacity to chemically buffer acid run-off. Indeed the stream bed itself could become a source of metal contamination should the pH of the stream flow drop significantly.

The lower reaches of these particular streams are important nursery areas for steelhead, coaster brook trout and other migratory salmonids. Young fish depend on a diversity of aquatic invertebrates - mayflies, midges, caddisflies, etc - species that are acutely sensitive to impaired water quality. In this way, the health of the wider Lake Superior ecosystem is critically connected to water quality in its tributary streams and rivers.

Dragonfly (Cordulegaster maculata) nymphs sampled from Hare Creek
We will work to ensure that, within the environmental assessment process, the value of these streams is appropriately recognized and that Marathon PGM takes appropriate measures to mitigate against harmful effects during and beyond the 11 year life of the mine.

Young brook trout

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Resources:

Learn more about Canadian Metal Mining Effluent Regulations.

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