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SHESHATSHIU, Newfoundland - The Innu Nation's review of the "Advanced Exploration Infrastructure" registered by the Voisey's Bay Nickel Company under the Newfoundland Environmental Assessment Act clearly identifies the need for a single, comprehensive environmental review of the entire Voisey's Bay Project. In comments filed on Friday with the federal and provincial Ministers of the Environment and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Innu Nation rejected the piecemeal approach being pursued by the company and called for a temporary moratorium on further mineral development until Innu and Inuit land rights are resolved and a full environmental review of the Project is complete.
In their submission, the Innu Nation argued that the company has misrepresented the purpose of the proposed road, dock and airstrip. "These things are not required for `advanced exploration' at all," stated Daniel Ashini, Director of Innu Rights and Environment. "The company knows that they have a mine. They know how much ore is in the ovoid, and they know how they are going to mine it, at least for the first 12 years. Nobody needs any further proof that there is a mine there. What needs to happen now is a freeze on further development of the site until our land rights are settled. During that time, there needs to be a joint federal-provincial environmental assessment of the Project so that we can start to assess the impacts of not only the infrastructure, but the mine, mill and tailings disposal options before they start to put in roads that they might have to rip up and redo later."
"The pace of this project is being determined by the company," continued Ashini, "and it is moving too fast for the people who it is affecting most. We don't believe that the company has enough baseline data or has a clear enough picture of how the whole project will proceed to ensure that fish and wildlife will not be negatively affected by the proposed infrastructure. In fact, we believe that the proposed road and airstrip will result in significant harm to fish and fish habitat, and because of this, we argue that this proposal should trigger the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act."
"It is clear to us that the proposed infrastructure was designed to get the mine off the ground as soon as possible with as little interference from government as possible. For instance, their proposed airstrip is shorter than what they will need for the mine, but because of the impacts that the larger airstrip will have on fish habitat, they made it a bit smaller in an attempt to avoid triggering the federal process. We reject this approach, and we call on the Ministers to do the same."
"Government has a clear responsibility here. It cannot just sit on its hands and let the company decide what is going to be assessed and how it is going to proceed. For our part, the Innu Nation is prepared through the courts or by other means to make sure that the proposed infrastructure is properly assessed as part of a single project."
Fourth World Bulletin • Spring/Summer 1996
Copyright © 1996 by the Fourth World Center
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