The Minister of Natural Resources has given her approval to start an environment assessment for an all-weather road in the Far North for the PhosCan mining project.
Constance Lake First Nation has written to the Premier's Office stating that they will "take all reasonable feasible steps" to complete a community land use plan by 2011 in advance of mining and confirming their support to protect significant areas of the far north. This commitment from the First Nation met the requirement included in the Premier's July announcement regarding the northern boreal forest region which stated that until such time as community-based land use strategies are completed in the Far North area, new forestry or the opening of new mines are deferred and mineral exploration activities will require consultation and accommodation of local Aboriginal communities.
The year-round site access is critical to PhosCan on several fronts - to collect further geological and technical information to support the study and evaluate options, to support advance exploration and feasibility work, and timely mine construction if the feasiblity study is positive.
PhosCan is proposing a phosphate mining operation in the Far North for 2012. Secondary value added fertilizer production facilities are proposed near Hearst and Constance Lake where there is an available labour pool, energy, rail and highway facilities. It is estimated that the mine would create 400 local jobs. PhosCan will be releasing a News Release confirming this announcement on Monday, September 15th, 2008.
