FEATURE-Evaporating water supply poses costly risk for miners – by Julie Gordon (Reuters U.S. – May 30, 2013)

http://www.reuters.com/

May 30 (Reuters) – High in Chile’s bone-dry Atacama desert, mining engineer Enrique Miranda surveys a metal structure filled with a pungent mix of earthworms and woodchips. Sprinklers inside the enclosure snap to life, shooting waste water from the nearby mining camp into the wriggling mass, which serves as a natural filter.

“That’s lunch for the worms,” says Miranda, an environmental supervisor who has worked at Barrick Gold Corp’s Zaldivar copper mine for 18 years.

The worms munch through all the waste water generated each day at the mine’s camp and office facilities (not from the mine itself) and eventually produce irrigation quality water. The experimental process forms part of Barrick’s efforts to get more than 90 percent of Zaldivar’s annual water needs from recycling. The mine also reuses much of the water used in the extraction process, reducing the amount of new fresh water needed.

The recycling plant highlights the lengths that miners like Barrick, BHP Billiton Ltd and Antofagasta Plc have to go to assure adequate supplies of water for everything from toilets for their workers to separating the valuable metals in the ore body from waste rock and tamping down dust that heavy trucks kick up.

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NEWS RELEASE: Planetary Resources Announces World’s First Crowdfunded Space Telescope Campaign

PROVIDING ACCESS TO AN ADVANCED SPACE TELESCOPE FOR STUDENTS, SCIENTISTS AND A NEW GENERATION OF CITIZEN EXPLORERS.

“BRINGING SPACE WITHIN REACH”

Bellevue, Washington – May 29, 2013 – Planetary Resources, Inc., the asteroid mining company, has launched a campaign for the world’s first crowdfunded space telescope to provide unprecedented public access to space and place the most advanced exploration technology into the hands of students, scientists and a new generation of citizen explorers.

Planetary Resources’ technical team, who worked on every recent U.S. Mars lander and rover, will provide direct access to an ARKYD space telescope making space widely available for inspiration, exploration and research. “I’ve operated rovers and landers on Mars, and now I can share that incredible experience with everyone. People of any age and background will be able to point the telescope outward to investigate our Solar System, deep space, or join us in our study of near-Earth asteroids,” said Chris Lewicki, President and Chief Engineer, Planetary Resources, Inc.

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[Saskatchewan] Uranium mining legacy expensive – by Ann Coxworth (Saskatoon StarPhoenix – May 30, 2013)

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

Coxworth is a board member and research adviser at the Saskatchewan Environmental Society. Along with all the enthusiasm about the benefits the mining industry has brought to Saskatchewan (Mining: Great for Saskatchewan, SP, May 25), we need to also remember the multimillion-dollar costs that are our province’s inheritance from past mining activities.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission recently reviewed plans for continuing management of some of the contaminated sites in northern Saskatchewan – relics of uranium mining activities that took place during the 1960s and 1970s.

The cost of remediating surface waters to levels compatible with Saskatchewan surface water quality objectives is so overwhelming that we know it will never happen.

Because the companies that caused the pollution are no longer in existence, these costs now fall to the federal and provincial taxpayers. The goal of industry and regulators now is simply to prevent the contamination from getting any worse.

One such contaminated region is the Beaverlodge area. Beaverlodge Lake, just north of Lake Athabasca and east of Uranium City, is linked to Lake Athabasca through a series of small lakes and rivers. It is beautiful, and is home to an abundance of fish.

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Ontario conservation group fears endangered species taking back seat to industries – by Raveena Aulakh (Toronto Star – May 30, 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.

There will be serious repercussions to the habitats of endangered species if the province bends over backward to accommodate industries, warns an environmental NGO.

Wildlands League, a leading Ontario conservation agency, resigned from the Endangered Species Act Panel earlier this week and wrote to Premier Kathleen Wynne outlining its concerns.

“If the regulations your government is about to enact go forward as contemplated, we fear that the act will be neutered; species survival will be jeopardized,” Janet Sumner, executive director of the league, told Wynne in the resignation letter.

She also said the ministry of natural resources seemed to be offering too many exemptions. But Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti says that is “unequivocally untrue.” “We believe we have reached a very effective balance in the proposed regulatory changes that will continue to safeguard Ontario’s endangered species,” he said.

The ministry embarked on “modernization of approvals” under the Endangered Species Act in September 2012 and invited organizations to be part of a panel. The modernization includes streamlining the way the ministry issues permits and licenses.

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Wynne could get frostbite from North – by Brian MacLeod (Sudbury Star – May 30, 2013)

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

An HST increase to help pay for improvements to the Toronto-Hamilton transportation corridor could be lethal for Premier Kathleen Wynne outside of that region. Yet she’s seriously considering campaigning on the issue in the next election.

It is a curious gambit, one that could undo the efforts she’s making to win back support in rural Ontario. But as we saw in the last election, if the Liberals can ride their support in urban areas, they need only a little help in the outlands to give them a majority.

Municipalities outside of the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area (GTHA) have their financial problems, and some even have innovative solutions that require the province’s help, but rarely does the government abide. Toronto, however, is a different story.

A report by Metrolinx, the regional transit authority, says $2 billion more is needed annually to pay for transit improvements to alleviate congestion, hence its support for a one-percentage-point increase to the HST. Other revenue generating tools would be applicable only in the GTHA, but the HST hike would likely be levied province-wide.

On Wednesday, Sun Media columnist Christina Blizzard asked, “If you live in Timmins or Niagara Falls, how do you feel about that?”

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Editorial: HD on its feet after a tumble – by John Cumming (Northern Miner – May 29, 2013)

The Northern Miner, first published in 1915, during the Cobalt Silver Rush, is considered Canada’s leading authority on the mining industry. Editor John Cumming MSc (Geol) is one of the country’s most well respected mining journalists. jcumming@northernminer.com

Another chapter closed in the HD Mining International saga, with HD celebrating a win in the federal courts against two B.C. unions who had tried to thwart the junior developer’s efforts to import Chinese workers to take a bulk sample at its Murray River underground coal mine project, located southeast of Tumbler Ridge in northeastern B.C.

Once operating, the $300-million Murray River project would produce 6 million tonnes of metallurgical coal per year over 30 years, creating about 600 direct and 700 indirect jobs. HD Mining has already spent $50 million on the project.

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 115, and the Construction and Specialized Workers’ Union, Local 1611, had banded together to challenge the federal decision that authorized the temporary use of 201 foreign workers, but the challenge was dismissed on May 21 by the Federal Court of Canada. While the applicants do not represent any workers of HD, they were granted public interest standing and permitted to launch their challenge because they represent mining workers in B.C.

In his decision, Justice Russel Zinn noted that it was the first time a positive decision made under the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) had ever been challenged, and that it “made for a hard-fought application.”

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Western premiers renewing push for Northern Gateway, Trans Mountain pipelines – by Claudia Cattaneo (National Post – May 30, 2013)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

With the British Columbia Liberals back in power — thanks in part to the implosion of the opposition NDP over its hard line against heavy oil pipelines — Canada’s three Western provinces are working on a renewed push to make the proposed Northern Gateway and Trans Mountain pipeline projects work.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark, Alberta Premier Alison Redford and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall are planning to meet as part of their New West Partnership to discuss the projects, including how to make them more economically relevant to British Columbia.

The inclusion of Premier Wall should help lighten up the cool relationship between the Alberta and British Columbia premiers. Like Alberta, Saskatchewan is an oil producing province that has been hard hit by Canadian oil-price discounts. A vocal supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline, Mr. Wall has been less involved in the West Coast debate.

On Wednesday, during a visit to Alberta that included a stop in Calgary and one in the oil sands, Terry Lake, B.C.’s environment minister, said the premiers’ meeting will happen “shortly” and B.C. has left open “a pathway to yes” to the projects. It involves meeting the five requirements he laid out last July.

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Lac Seul opposing Big Falls hydro project – Geoff Shields (Wawatay News – May 28, 2013)

 http://wawataynews.ca/

Lac Seul First Nation has decided not to support construction of a hydro-electric power plant at Big Falls on the Trout River, after concerns were raised by a number of local residents over the effects a dam would have on the area’s cultural heritage.

The First Nation’s change in position comes after Lac Seul had originally agreed to partner on the three to four megawatt hydro dam with Horizon Energy, and potentially Grassy Narrows First Nation and Wabauskang First Nation.

Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull and his council met with officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) on May 7 to convey the First Nation’s stance.

“We want to tell the government that perhaps we can do other things with the river system,” Bull told Wawatay following the meeting on May 7. “Perhaps we can make it into a heritage water park. There was always a water highway and it has historical value for us and we want to protect that area. We don’t want the development on it at this point in time.”

Lac Seul’s opposition to the project came after band members living in Red Lake expressed their concerns about the dam’s infringement on their rights. Lac Seul chief and council eventually decided to remove themselves from the project in support of the Red Lake members.

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Thousands attend Big [Timmins Mining] Event – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – May 30, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Surrounded by haul trucks, wheel loaders and other mining machines, a group of elementary students wander around the parking lot at the McIntyre Arena in awe as if they’re in the Land of the Giants.

While the Big Event mining expo is essentially a massive trade show for the industry, Doug McPhail, who teaches Schumacher Public School, said the event offers great educational value for his class of Grade 4 and 5 students

“It’s a wonderful show, it’s right here in our backyard,” said McPhail, who has brought students to the annual event over the past four years. “The kids always have a great day and they write a little report on their trip and what they learned.”

This year’s Big Event has about 450 exhibitors from across Canada and the United States. In addition to companies displaying and demonstrating products, there is a lot of information sharing and networking going on at the expo. This year features a large delegation of First Nation representatives.

Brian Davey is the executive director of the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund which is the main sponsor and organizer of the Aboriginal Pavilion at the expo.

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Battle for [Timmins] king — and queen — of the drill – by Benjamin Aubé (Timmins Daily Press – May 30, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Three large rocks riddled with holes lay defeated outside of the McIntyre Arena at The Big Event, Canada’s largest annual mining expo. The weapon of choice at this grisly crime scene? A frighteningly powerful Secan S-250 Jackleg drill.

If you weren’t a giant rock getting holes drilled into you, though, the expo’s Jackleg Drilling Competition was actually a very cool place to be on Wednesday. “I was a driller for 25 years,” yelled organizer Moe Denis over the loud water and air pumps powering the jackleg. “It’s a way of life, it’s the Northern way of life up here.”

Three separate contests were held, including a competition between regional mayors, a women’s division, and finally a matchup between some of the North’s top pros.

In the mayoral heat, Tom Laughren had the City with a Heart of Gold behind him as he went up against Kapuskasing mayor Al Spacek, and Cochrane Coun. Rey Brisson. “I think we’re going to give the win to Spacek,” said Laughren with a sly smile. “That was the decision in the end.

“You know what, to be very honest, all the guys do good. At the same time, it’s about promotion, it’s great for the region. To get those guys in here promoting the industry, it’s big.”

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