Municipal councils in Nairn and Hyman Township and the nearby Township of Baldwin are now formally on record as opposing the Ontario plan to ship niobium mine tailings to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area (ALTMA), located near Nairn Centre.
The townships have passed a joint resolution opposing the plan, which is part of a new letter sent to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
The plan to ship niobium was developed in 2015 by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, (MTO) which worked with Nipissing First Nation near North Bay to remove several thousand tonnes of niobium mine tailings that had been dumped on First Nations lands since the 1950s. This also includes naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in a gravel pit on the reserve that was owned by MTO.
The plan is to ship the materials from Nipissing First Nation to the Agnew Lake disposal site near Nairn Centre, a licensed radioactive tailings site left over from the former Agnew Lake uranium mine that operated in the 1970s and 1980s.
At a town hall meeting held in September, an official with the Ontario Ministry of Mines said the plan was to use the niobium tailings, which are of so low a radiation level they’re not a health concern, as a new ground cover for the pre-existing and higher-radition Agnew Lake uranium tailings area as erosion has occurred over the years, exposing gamma radiation from the uranium to the environment.
The letter of opposition sent to Queen's Park said if the government is so concerned for ground cover at the Agnew Lake site, it should be remediated using clean materials to mitigate existing environmental impacts and not by accepting "additional hazardous materials".
One of the community’s significant concerns about the project is what officials see as a lack of consultation. The project was in the works since 2015 without any elected officials or local administrators being advised of precisely what was going on.
It wasn't until the summer of 2024 that anyone near Nairn Centre was advised that local roads were being upgraded to accommodate heavy trucks for the haulage project. This is addressed in the letter.
"The Councils have demanded transparency and accountability from the Province, requesting that the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Transportation, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission provide clear answers to the municipalities’ questions and notify them of any forward movements on this project," said the letter.
Along with the letter, the townships have forwarded a petition which is to be presented to the Legislature by Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha, on behalf of the councils and local residents.
Belinda Ketchabaw, CAO Clerk Treasurer for Nairn and Hyman, who signed the letter, said copies are being distributed to neighbouring municipalities, First Nations and all provincial ministries involved.
Full text of the letter:
The Honourable Doug Ford
Premier of Ontario
Premier’s Office, Room 281
Legislative Building, Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A1
RE: Opposition to the Transportation and Deposition of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) and
Mine Tailings from the Former Beaucage Mine and Waste Site
On behalf of the Councils of the Corporation of the Township of Nairn and Hyman and the Corporation of the Township of Baldwin, we are formally submitting the attached joint resolution regarding our serious concerns over the proposed transportation and deposition of radioactive naturally occurring materials (NORM) to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area (ALTMA).
Our Councils recently convened a Joint Emergency Meeting on October 2, 2024, to discuss this matter in response to information presented at a Town Hall Meeting on September 11, 2024, by the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. During our deliberations, it became evident that the materials slated for transport are not correctly categorized as NORM, but rather as mine tailings containing not only radioactive substances like niobium and uranium but also other hazardous heavy metals.
We are gravely concerned about the potential environmental and health impacts this project may have, particularly on Agnew Lake—a critical drinking water source for our communities. Our position is that ALTMA should be remediated using clean materials to mitigate existing contamination rather than accepting additional hazardous materials that could exacerbate environmental harm.
This joint resolution calls upon your government and relevant ministries to halt any further actions related to the transportation of this hazardous product to the ALTMA site. The resolution reads as follows:
RESOLUTION # 2024-EM2-12
DATED: October 2, 2024
MOVED BY: Vern Gorham
SECONDED BY: Jason Cote
WHEREAS the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Nairn and Hyman and the Council of the Corporation the Township of Baldwin convened a Joint Emergency Meeting on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 to discuss the proposed plan to transport and deposit radioactive naturally occurring materials (NORM) at the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area (ALTMA);
And WHEREAS the Councils reviewed information received from the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of Transportation and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regarding this proposed plan at the Town Hall Meeting dated September 11, 2024;
And WHEREAS the Councils strongly agree that the materials that are planned to be deposited are not correctly defined as naturally occurring radioactive materials but rather mine tailings that contain not only the radioactive substance Niobium and uranium but also contain heavy metals that pose significant environmental and health risks;
And WHEREAS there are significant concerns regarding the potential contamination of drinking water sources, particularly Agnew Lake, which many residents rely on for safe drinking water;
And WHEREAS the Councils agree that the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area (ALTMA) needs to be remediated using clean materials to mitigate the existing environmental impacts, rather than being used for the deposition of additional hazardous materials;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Nairn and Hyman and the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Baldwin formally oppose the transportation and deposition of these materials from the former Beaucage Mine and Waste Site, Nipissing First Nations lands and adjacent lands operated by the Ministry of Transportation to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area;
And BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Nairn and Hyman and the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Baldwin respectfully demand that the Province of Ontario, the Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of Transportation, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission provide answers to our questions and that the municipalities receive notification of all forward movements of this project;
And THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; the Honourable George Pirie, the Minister of Mines; the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, the Minister of Transportation; the Honourable Andrea Khanjin, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; Chief Toulouse and Sagamok Anishnawbek Council Members; Chief Nootchtai and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Council Members; Chief Rodney Nahwegahbow and the Whitefish River First Nation Council Members; Chief Patsy Corbiere and the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation Council Members; the United Chiefs and Council of Mnidoo Mnising; Ontario Ombudsman; the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; the Canadian Environmental Law Association; MP Carol Hughes; MPP Michael Mantha; the Association of Ontario Municipalities and all Ontario Municipalities.
CARRIED
We respectfully request your immediate attention to this matter and urge the Province of Ontario to prioritize the protection of our community’s health, safety, and environmental integrity.
For more information regarding this matter, please contact our municipal office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (705) 869-4232.
Yours truly,
Belinda Ketchabaw
CAO Clerk Treasurer
Township of Nairn and Hyman
Len Gillis covers mining and health care for Sudbury.com.