Cliffs Faces Blockades at Mining Projects in Canada’s Ring of Fire

January 29, 2010

Cliffs Natural Resources is facing blockades at some of its chromium exploration sites in a region of northwestern Ontario known as “the Ring of Fire,” located 150 miles west of James Bay.

The area has seen an incredible surge in mine exploration activity, with 4,000 claims staked in the past two years, alone, as part of an effort by over 35 companies to get in on the action before Ontario modernizes its antiquated mining laws.  Many of the claims are located on traditional native land, amid concerns that companies and the provincial government have not adequately consulted them, as required by law, before moving ahead with plans.

“Exploration on our traditional land is getting out of hand,” said Marten Falls First Nation Chief Elijah Moonias.  “Mineral Exploration companies are not respecting our interests.” Read the rest of this entry »

6 Comments | Canada, civil disobedience, Cliffs Natural Resources, indigenous | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by LSMN

Ontario Chief Staves Off Mining Company

September 3, 2009

The chief of an isolated First Nation, in northern Ontario, has single-handedly staved off Platinex, a company attempting to explore for platinum on land claimed by the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI). Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | civil disobedience, indigenous | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by LSMN

Success at Sharbot Lake: Ontario’s Committed Grassroots Movement to Stop Uranium Mining

June 25, 2008

by Gabriel Caplett

Globally, grassroots movements are underway demanding companies obtain “free, prior and informed consent” from local communities before state approval of exploration and mining permits.  The concept has proven to be a major threat to transnational mining companies that rely on government handouts of public land and access to private and indigenous land in order to operate.

Rather than obtain community consent and eliminate mine pollution in sensitive areas, the mining industry has responded with the Global Mining Initiative, originally introduced by Rio Tinto.  The GMI entails a massive global public relations effort to frame mining operations as synonymous with sustainable development.

John Bray, research head at Control Risks, the world’s largest corporate risk consultant, advises his clients that maintaining “dialogue” with the opposition ensures that ‘you win…If you meet a group that will not compromise, then you have a problem.’

In neighboring Ontario, indigenous First Nations and non-native private property owners are disregarding industry rhetoric while waging a successful battle to prevent uranium exploration and mining on indigenous, public and private land. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Canada, civil disobedience, indigenous, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, uranium | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by LSMN

Cameco Hits Rough Patch

May 12, 2008

by Gabriel Caplett

Since opening its McArthur River uranium mine, in 1999, Cameco Corporation has become a global leader in uranium production and groundwater contamination. Over the past decade, Cameco has been criticized for mine collapses, extensive groundwater contamination, major uranium and cyanide spills, and transportation accidents – most recently in Nebraska, Wyoming and Saskatchewan….

“A lack of relevant knowledge about faults and fractures”

The Oglala Sioux Nation, along with the Western Nebraska Resources Coalition, Owe Aku/Bring Back the Way, the Clean Water Advocacy Project, Rock the Earth, and other petitioners are filing a legal claim against Crow Butte Resources (CBR), a subsidiary of Cameco. The petitioners maintain that CBR’s in-situ uranium operations, near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, are contaminating the Brule, Arikaree and High Plains aquifers, a major source of freshwater stretching from Texas to South Dakota that supplies irrigatable water for growing vegetables, grains and raising livestock. The Crow Butte mine currently produces roughly 800,000 pounds of uranium “yellowcake”, yearly, which is used for power generation in Canada. Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments | cameco, Canada, indigenous, uranium, water pollution | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by LSMN

Uranium Exploration in the UP

April 2, 2007

by Gabriel Caplett

Since opening its McArthur River uranium mine, in 1999, Cameco Corporation has been the world’s largest producer of uranium for use in power plants and weapons systems. While Canada supplies roughly 30% of the world’s uranium, McArthur provides 20% of the world’s supply and is the largest high-grade, underground uranium mine in the world.[1]

An April, 2003 cave-in and flood of radioactive water at McArthur stopped production for three months. Cameco admitted that consultant’s reports had warned of caving and flooding as the mine did not possess adequate water pumping and treatment capacity or proper contingency plans in the event of an accident. Cameco also conceded that their engineering used non-standard methodology and could not relate to standard industry practice.[2]

A Canadian Broadcasting Channel (CBC) report revealed that Cameco was expecting a flood months prior to the incident. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | cameco, Canada, indigenous, public land, uranium, water pollution, workers | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by LSMN

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