Cliffs Natural Resources wants to get its chromite project, in Ontario's Ring of Fire, moving as quickly as possible and expects to have a prefeasibility study, which means decisions on transport infrastructure and where to build a smelter, by around September this year.
City council reaffirms support for ferrochrome smelter
By: Martha Dillman
- Sudbury Northern Life Mar 24, 2011
Greater Sudbury city council have passed a motion confirming their support to have a ferrochrome smelter built in the city limits.
The motion was put forth by Ward 7 Coun. Dave Kilgour at the March 23 policy meeting.
“It's going to be something superior for the entire city of Greater Sudbury,” he said. “We're looking at a potential for 500 jobs, and the spin-off will bring it up likely to 3,500 to 4,000 jobs for the city. Every shop in the city that has anything to do with mining is going to really reap the benefit of this.”
On Feb. 3, Cliffs Natural Resources issued a press release stating it may build the facility within the city to process ore from a chromite mine from the Ring of Fire Development, located on the James Bay lowlands of northern Ontario.
Other areas in northern Ontario, including Timmins, Thunder Bay and Greenstone, were also mentioned as potential locations.
Kilgour said it's important for Greater Sudbury city council to show their support for the project.
“There are six or seven municipalities in northern Ontario that are actively out there fighting and they are not sitting there waiting for it to happen,” he said.
“The (Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry) for this province happens to live in Thunder Bay, and don't you think they're not sitting there doing everything they can to make sure this ends up in their backyard.”
Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann said she supported the motion and questioned city staff as to whether or not an action plan was in place.
Doug Nadorozny, CAO for the City of Greater Sudbury, said staff are proactively working on the issue.
“I can assure you there is a very active plan to make sure that we don't rest on being the base case.”
