Environmental approvals for Ring of Fire mine running into difficulty – by Heather Scoffield (The Canadian Press/Winnipeg Free Press – March 25, 2013)

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/

OTTAWA – Just as the federal government strives to speed up environmental reviews of major mining and energy projects, approvals for the giant Ring of Fire proposal in northern Ontario are getting increasingly tangled.

On Monday, a key environmental group asked for provincial government mediation on how Cliffs Natural Resources plans to develop a giant chromite deposit in the fragile muskeg of the James Bay lowlands.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says Cleveland-based Cliffs is dramatically changing its plans for a mine without properly consulting with the public.

“Several major alterations have been incorporated at the last minute and without the benefit of public scrutiny,” the Wildlands League chapter of CPAWS says in a letter to Ontario Environment Minister Jim Bradley.

The letter says Cliffs is backing away from a long-term plan to do a combination of open-pit mining and underground mining, opting to stick with only open pit.

It also notes Cliffs is considering only a single route — a north-south road that would be heavily subsidized — to transport chromite ore out of the area, instead of considering other ways such, as an east-west corridor that could link First Nations to much-needed infrastructure.

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Could faster mining permitting help fuel future U.S. economic growth? – by Dorothy Kosich (Mineweb.com – March 25, 2013)

http://www.mineweb.com/

A bill introduced by Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, a former Nevada Mining Association president, aims to set timelines on U.S. mining permits and limit citizen lawsuits against projects.

RENO (MINEWEB) – The National Mining Association and its long-time loyal opposition, the environmental NGO Earthworks, recently sparred before a congressional subcommittee as whether the U.S. mining really needs HR 761, The Critical and Strategic Minerals Production Act of 2013.

Hal Quinn, CEO of the National Mining Association, told the House Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals Resources that the measure “addresses a key issue for the country’s future economic growth and manufacturing revival: the painfully slow permitting process for the miners that supply metals and minerals essential for our basic industries, our national defense and the consumer product we use.”

“The value added by major industries that consume the $77 billion of minerals produced in the U.S. was an estimated $2.4 trillion in 2012, or 15% of our GDP,” Quinn noted. “In addition, domestic mining generated $50 billion in tax payments to federal, state and local governments.”

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Why gold shares haven’t lost their shine – by Martin Mittelstaedt (Globe and Mail – March 25, 2013)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Despite a small uptick last week due to Cyprus jitters, the price of gold has been heading south in fits and starts since hitting a record near $1,900 (U.S.) an ounce back in September, 2011. Gold-mining shares have been just about the worst investment on the stock market, with the TSX global gold index losing about a third of its value over the past two years.

Being a gold bug has clearly become a painful investment thesis and investors are responding accordingly by yanking money from the sector. Holdings in the world’s biggest bullion-backed fund, the SPDR Gold Trust, have recently fallen to their lowest since mid-2011, according to Bloomberg. Big-name investors, such as hedge fund operator George Soros, have been bailing from gold, too.

Amid the despondency, John Hathaway, manager of the $1.8-billion Tocqueville Gold Fund, remains optimistic, arguing that the current downturn is just a pause that will refresh the long-term gold bull market. “If anything, it looks better than ever,” says Mr. Hathaway of the outlook. The negative mood, in his opinion, is “usually what happens before you make a big low.”

A chat with Mr. Hathaway on gold is always worth the effort. He’s considered one of the world’s best gold managers, with his fund’s performance ranking No. 1 over the past five years in the sector, according to Morningstar.

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Feds can do better: NAN – by Carl Clutchey (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – March 25, 2013)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation says it has found little in last week’s federal budget to help First Nations position themselves “to be partners, investors and owners of the significant resource-based economy about to emerge from our treaty territories.”
In a news release following the release of Thursday’s budget, NAN Grand Chief Harvey Yesno said “Canada can do better” in terms of helping NAN communities realize “a long-term vision for prosperity and wealth.”

A post-budget analysis by NAN also found the document to be lacking in terms of addressing ongoing shortages of food, housing and police officers in NAN’s mostly isolated reserves in Ontario’s remote North.

“After reviewing (more than) $700 million worth of federal funding announcements related to First Nations outlined in the budget across many federal departments, the only direct benefit to the 49 First Nations of NAN is the announcement of $4.4 million over three years for Ring of Fire communities,” said the release.

Thunder Bay-based NAN said that while it applauds the $100-million earmarked for Nunavut housing projects, there was nothing for the 32 remote NAN reserves “where housing is limited.”

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Xstrata hoping to keep the Kidd deep mine running beyond 2020 – by Len Gilles (Timmins Times – March 22, 2013)

http://www.timminstimes.com/

The Xstrata Kidd Mine in Timmins has a life expectancy of perhaps another eight years, but everything is being done to make the mine run as efficiently, as sunstainably and as profitably as possible.

And from that, there is the possibility that maybe, just maybe, another few years of mine life might be found.

That was part of the message Thursday from Xstrata Copper Kidd Operations general manager Tom Semadeni who was the guest speaker at the Timmins Chamber of Commerce luncheon event at the Dante Club.

He said the Kidd mine is still quite large, still quite rich and still expensive to run. The Kidd Mine is not only the deepest mine in Canada, it is the deepest base metal mine in the world at more than 9600 feet down.

Semadeni said that the copper, zinc and silver ore at Kidd is very rich. On the other side of the coin, because the mine is now so deep, everything involved in running the mine is more expensive.

It takes longer for the miners to get from surface down to the work areas. It takes longer to ship equipment and materials from surface to the lower levels. Ventilation and the cost of moving fresh air into the mine and removing stale air and blasting gases is significantly higher. And it takes longer to bring the ore to surface.

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Canadian ‘invasion’ of Guatemala’s mines causing conflicts – by Catherine Solyom (Montreal Gazette – March 22, 2013)

http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html

MONTREAL — With her broad, patient smile, her work-worn hands folded over a traditional, woven skirt, Lolita Chavez is hardly a menacing figure. Yet in Guatemala, Chavez has been branded a threat to national security and a terrorist for speaking out against the development of Canadian-owned mines against the people’s will.

In Montreal Friday as part of a cross-country tour to draw attention to ongoing conflicts around mines — called “Plan Nord, Plans Sud” in Quebec — Chavez spoke to a crowded auditorium at UQÀM about her experience and Canadians’ responsibility in the “new invasion” of her country.

First came the Spanish conquest, then the civil war in Guatemala that claimed some 200,000 lives, now come the Canadians, Chavez told the crowd of students, academics and activists.

“Canadian companies are the main protagonists in this invasion that brings only death and destruction,” said Chavez, the spokesperson for 87 indigenous K’iche’ (Mayan) communities in Santa Cruz del Quiché, about 145 kilometres north west of Guatemala City. “And when we say we don’t want it, they say we are ignorant, or brutes, or we don’t understand the benefits. But we have a right to say no.”

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Canada’s 2013 Budget a ‘mixed bag’ for miners – MAC – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – March 22, 2013)

http://www.miningweekly.com/page/americas-home

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Mining Association of Canada (MAC) on Friday said the new federal Budget for 2013 is a mixed bag when it came to its impacts on the Canadian mining industry.

MAC said it was encouraged by the significant new measures announced to address skills shortages, including the establishment of a Canada Job Grant, support for more paid internships, the reduction of barriers in apprenticeship accreditation, the reallocation of funds to promote education in high-demand fields, and funding for Yukon College’s Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining.

The association added the Canadian mining sector appreciated government’s enhanced Aboriginal training-to-employment programmes and a boost in scholarships and bursaries, which is proportionally the largest private sector employer of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

MAC also welcomed the government’s proposal to provide $37-million over the next two years to support research partnerships with industry through the granting councils.

“As an industry that will require an estimated 145 000 new workers over the next ten years, we are pleased that skills and labour training emerged as a key theme of the federal budget.

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NEWS RELEASE: The Sound of Silence: First Nations Release Oil Spill Commercial Reminding British Columbians of Dangers Oil Tankers

March 24, 2013

Released on the 24th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, powerful television commercial features oil spill footage and iconic song by Simon & Garfunkel

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (March 24, 2013) – The Coastal First Nations today released a television commercial reminding British Columbians of the dangers and costs of bringing oil tankers to BC’s pristine coastal waters.

See the commercial on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XNwjdI5m_E

“We thought it was appropriate to release the commercial on the 24th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska,” said Art Sterritt, Executive Director of the Coastal First Nations. “The Coastal First Nations have banned oil tankers from our traditional territories in the Great Bear Rainforest, and we have invested more than $300 million dollars over the past decade to establish a sustainable economy on the coast.”

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Mines & Money Hong Kong – Overview of a very positive event – by Lawrence Williams (Mineweb.com – March 25, 2013)

http://www.mineweb.com/

A retrospective overview of Mines & Money Hong Kong which took place last week and encompassed some very interesting presentations and panel discussions.

LONDON (MINEWEB) – What a difference 12,000 km and a couple of weeks makes in the junior mining sector. Mines & Money Hong Kong (MMHK) proved to be a much more upbeat event than this year’s PDAC was in Toronto. The doom and gloom which pervaded the latter just didn’t seem to be so prevalent in Hong Kong.

Maybe this was a function of the companies attending – the PDAC attracts juniors in all states of financial strength from the haves to the have-nots attending almost as a last desperate throw of the dice in hope of raising just a little money.

Those having to cover the expense of exhibiting in Hong Kong probably have a little more financial strength in any case – and the show was dominated by Australian juniors rather than Canadian ones and the ASX has perhaps not suffered quite the meltdown experienced on the TSX-V, although juniors have indeed having to nurse their wounds there too.

What is also pleasant after the horrendous crowds at the PDAC is that MMHK was a far more relaxed event – and that there was a broader range of keynote and featured speakers definitely draws an appreciative audience in, although the auditorium definitely thins out for the 10 minute long presentations allowed for the junior companies trying to present their wares to hoped for investors.

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Saskatchewan seeks to spur uranium expansion with royalty cut – Rod Nickel (Reuters U.S. – March 22, 2013)

http://www.reuters.com/

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, March 22 (Reuters) – The Western Canadian province of Saskatchewan is cutting its tax on uranium mining in hopes of spurring construction of more mines and boosting its revenues, a top government official said on Friday.

The provincial government is proposing the first changes in 12 years to its system of charging royalties to uranium miners, calling the old formula a barrier to investment. Low uranium prices in the two years since the Fukushima meltdown in Japan have led to delays in some mine projects, but miners see a brighter outlook as new reactors are built.

The adjustments would save the two uranium miners in the province, Cameco Corp and Areva SA, only a combined C$15 million ($14.7 million) in Saskatchewan’s fiscal year 2013-14.

But those savings are set to grow as the formula will reflect the miners’ actual costs in future years, and remove some of their risk from unforeseen events, said Kent Campbell, deputy minister of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of the Economy. “The biggest thing is it helps to de-risk projects,” Campbell said in an interview.

“It was very clear that (miners) felt the economics of future greenfield projects would not work if the system was not changed.”

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NEWS RELEASE: New gold discoveries decline by 45%

Date: 25th March 2013

Release time: Immediate

The declining rate of new gold discoveries and grades across the global market during the last decade has accelerated over the last 4 years.

Data and analysis from IntierraRMG reveals that the 2 year period from 2003 to 2004 was the best in the study range, with over 400 million ounces of new gold discovered. This includes inferred, indicated and measured ounces with an average grade of 1.65 grams per tonne. In contrast, 2005 and 2006 had the lowest number, with just over 150 million new gold ounces discovered – albeit with a similar grade.

Discoveries then increased significantly during 2007 to 2008 with greater than 390 million ounces. The average grade also increased significantly to 2.65 grams per tonne; the highest in the 10 year period.

Over the next two years, slightly more than 250 million ounces were discovered with a declining grade of 1.25 grams per tonne. This deterioration continued through 2011 and 2012 as the amount of new gold ounces discovered dipped below 225 million ounces with a reduced grade of 1.17 grams per tonne.

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Canada’s pipeline preacher will not slow down – by Tim Harper (Toronto Star – March 25, 2013)

The Toronto Star has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver carries the government’s torch on oil exports. We’ll know this year whether he can overcome historic opposition

OTTAWA—Stephen Harper’s pipeline preacher has not lost any of his zeal.

Joe Oliver takes to his pulpit daily, spraying statistics and “fact-based” arguments at his opponents, refusing to be slowed by recent heart surgery, perhaps the loudest and most determined environmental protest ever mounted on both sides of the border or native leaders who promise a long, hot summer followed by potentially years of court challenges.

He is unbowed by his government’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol, its international vilification, the oilsands “branding” battle that, by his own admission, his government was losing when Harper tapped him as his natural resources minister.

He soldiers on resolutely in what has arguably become the country’s most important portfolio as his government ties the country’s economic future to the export of its deep oil reserves, but doesn’t even pay lip service to climate change in its budget.

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You say you want a devolution? In Yukon, it’s reality – by Darrell Pasloski (Globe and Mail – March 25, 2013)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Darrell Pasloski is Premier of Yukon.

The term “devolution” has recently made headlines, with the draft devolution agreement between the Northwest Territories and Canada. For Yukoners, devolution has been a reality for a decade and is a cornerstone that our government has built on to make Yukon one of the most exciting and economically thriving areas of the country.

When a new Yukon Act came into effect on April 1, 2003, it gave Yukon a greater variety of province-like powers to control land, water and resources, make laws and form policies. This devolution of responsibility for lands and resources was a turning point in self-determination and resource management for Yukon. It has resulted in significant changes in Yukon that allow us to work even more effectively with Canada to secure a place of leadership and innovation in the circumpolar world.

Since our devolution deal came into effect, Yukon has done very well. We have experienced steady prosperity, with nine consecutive years of real GDP growth, exceeding the national rate in eight of those nine years. Private-sector contributions to our economy have soared. In the mining sector, a pillar of our economy, three mines have gone into production in the past five years; six more are in permitting and 10 in advanced exploration and feasibility stages.

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Fram brings [mine safety] message to Timmins – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – March 25, 2013)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

TIMMINS — The shadow cast by the McIntyre No. 11 shaft headframe is a long one, encompassing the life, history and culture of this city.

Less than a kilometre away, a small, humble miner’s memorial may cast an even longer shadow over this Northern Ontario mining community. Etched in marble are the names of the miners who lost their lives in the cold and unforgiving darkness found in the stopes and drifts thousands of feet under-ground.

It was fitting then, that in the shadow of these monuments, a grieving Sudbury woman brought the issue of mine safety to Timmins, hoping to spur the kind of change that saves lives.

“My brother Jordan was 26 years old when he passed away at Stobie Mine (in Sudbury) on Oct. 8, 2011,” said Briana Fram. “He was a miner for a number of years and he was a huge part of our family. He was a great man and when he passed away, it broke all of our hearts and we knew there was something that had to be done.”

Jordan Fram and Jason Chenier, 35, died when they were buried by tonnes of muck — mine water and rock — at the Vale mine.

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