"Chromite ore is inert and not known to be toxic."
It is more so not know Not to be toxic. There is a definite suggestion that in large quanities it is.
The article I posted has the following paragraph:
<
Is chromium dangerous?
The two most common types of chromium
are trivalent chromium (Cr-III), which
is found in the mineral chromite, and
hexavalent chromium (Cr-VI). While Cr-III
is considered an essential trace element in
human diets, high doses can cause health
problems and harm sensitive plants and
animals. Human activities such as chromite
mining and ferrochrome processing
can convert Cr-III into Cr-VI, which is 100-
1000 times more toxic than Cr-III and is
known to cause cancer.
>
"The waste from that processing is a different matter and can contain toxins."
Not can, but does.
And toxicity also depends on quantity and concentration. We should not make assumptions based on lack of evidence. Safety is paramount.

We talk about chromite, but that is not very relevant to today's Noront. we should be talking about the nickel ore.
There I suspect copper is the main culprit. I also suspect that it is not as big a problem as with chromite ores. But I do know that copper, (i.e. it's compounds) in large quantities is harmfull to plant life.