"And the companies that want to develop the region (Noront and Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.) are in such poor financial condition that the concept of them spending billions of dollars to build mines is questionable."
Noront is in no way poor financially. Like cliffs it needs infrastructure backing from the provincial government to proceed.

Further on:
"Those issues, along with uncertainty about the permitting process, forced the miner to suspend work."
It is my opinion that Cliffs got tired waiting for movement on the part of government.

And:
"Its balance sheet is loaded down by US$3.1-billion of net debt, a result of its disastrous $4.9-billion takeover of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd. in 2011."
If Cliffs could find the money to buy out Consolidated Thomson, which by those types of comments was not a good buy THEN they can find money to develop a cash cow such as the chromite project is. Worst of all, sell Consolidated and put the money into chromite.

Hello, Anyone in hearing range?

Needles to say I am not impressed with the press coverage of the Ring.