FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2014 – Aroland First Nation, Ontario – Aroland First Nation is rejecting Premier Gold’s Hardrock Mine plans for an open pit mine near Geraldton, Ontario. The proposed mine will cause significant adverse environmental effects, including the destruction of a lake and major alterations to the TransCanada Highway for open pit mines.
Like the controversial Taskeo Mines Prosperity Mine proposed in British Columbia – a project that was twice rejected by the federal Ministry of the Environment – Premier Gold proposes to drain a 16 acre lake that supports important fisheries and fish spawning ground. Premier Gold also proposes a massive waste rock facility next to Kenogamisis Lake, one of Ontario’s most popular fishing lakes.
“My First Nation is generally supportive of sustainable mining development,” says Aroland First Nation Chief Sonny Gagnon. “Premier Gold wants to destroy Begooch Zaagaigan (pronounced “Be-gosh Zag-A-gan”), a lake that supports our Aboriginal fishery. They just put a number on this lake – A-322 – and tell us they’re going to fill it in with mine waste. This is one of the worst project proposals I’ve ever seen. They’re going to seriously impact our lands and resources. Such a large and destructive project should receive the maximum examination possible – but instead, very little is being done under provincial or federal environment assessment laws. And virtually nothing has been done to consult with and accommodate the many serious concerns of Aroland First Nation.”