NEWS RELEASE: Vale Canada Limited and Sagamok Anishnawbek celebrate a solidified partnership for Totten Mine

(L to R) Kelly Strong, Vale’s Vice President of Mining & Milling (North Atlantic) and General Manager Ontario Operations, and Chief Paul Eshkakogan, Chief of Sagamok Anishnawbek, formally sign an Impacts and Benefits Agreement during Treaty Day celebrations at Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation on June 22, 2012.

For immediate release

June 25, 2012

Massey, Ontario – On Friday June 22, 2012 Paul Eshkakogan, Chief of Sagamok Anishnawbek and Kelly Strong, Vale’s Vice President of Mining and Milling for the North Atlantic Region, solidified their working relationship regarding Vale’s Totten Mine with the signing of an Impacts and Benefits Agreement during Treaty Day celebrations at Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation.

““The signing of this agreement represents the culmination of many years of fruitful discussion with Vale as well as commitment by our community to a prosperous future” said Chief Eshkakogan. “It provides a basis for Sagamok Anishnawbek to effectively participate in the Totten Mine Project, to share directly in the economic and other benefits associated with it, and to continue to fulfill environmental stewardship responsibilities within our traditional and treaty territory.”

The Impacts and Benefits Agreement formalizes the ways in which Vale and Sagamok will work together to advance their shared interest in building and sustaining a mutually beneficial working relationship throughout the life of the mine.

“Vale is honoured to engage in this partnership with Chief Paul and the community of Sagamok Anishnawbek,” said Strong. “We are committed to working with our partners at Sagamok throughout the development, operation and eventual closure of Totten Mine to ensure our mutual success.”  

The Agreement is effective immediately and provides for participation in environmental aspects of the project, the development of a human resource strategy, and established contract processes that will support local Sagamok suppliers during each phase of the mine, from construction through to operation and eventual closure. A financial contribution will support community initiatives outlined in the First Nation’s Ten Year Action Plan for Healing and Community Development.
 
About Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation

Sagamok Anishnawbek, a signatory to the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850, is located on the north shore of Lake Huron, approximately 1 hour’s drive west of Sudbury and 43 km east of Blind River. Sagamok has a total land base of 11,331 hectares and a total registered population of 2,636, of which approximately 58% live on reserve. The community is situated within one of the most active mineral resource areas in Canada.

About Vale

Vale is the world’s largest producer of iron ore and pellets, key raw materials for steelmaking, and the world’s second largest producer of nickel, which is used to produce stainless steel and metal alloys employed in the production of aircraft, autos, mining and energy equipment mobile phones, batteries, special batteries for hybrid electric vehicles and several other products. We also produce manganese, ferroalloys, thermal and coking coal, copper, cobalt, platinum group metals, and fertilizer nutrients, important raw materials for the global industrial and food production industries. Present in 38 countries, Vale employs around 134,000 people.  For further information, please visit www.vale.com

About Totten Mine

Totten is an underground nickel-copper mine located west of Sudbury, near Worthington Ontario.  The mine, which is expected to reach commercial production late next year, has an estimated nominal capacity of 8,200 metric tons per year.

For more information, please contact:

Angie Robson
Manager of Corporate Affairs
Vale
705-682-5202
Angie.robson@vale.com

Laura Owl
Director of Operations
Sagamok Anishnawbek
705-865-2421
owl_laura@sagamok.ca